


Infinite

by RavennaRose



Category: Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, modao zushi, 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī, 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Friendship/Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:07:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 40,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23823553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavennaRose/pseuds/RavennaRose
Summary: Ongoing..................When people say opposites attract.... this is probably what they meant...When two polar opposite adults meet and the universe definitely has played its part in keeping them apart.... what will it take to keep them together?A story set in alternate universe (modern 21st century). It will show Lan Zhan to be a bit more talkative than the original timeline because as a working adult it's hard to stick to single words. Wei Ying will be the same. Other characters will be introduced earlier or later in the story. Happy reading!
Relationships: Wei Wuxian/Lan Wangji, Wei Ying/Lan Zhan
Comments: 71
Kudos: 175





	1. The Stumble

* * *

* * *

1.The Stumble

* * *

It was a rainy day... He hated rainy days. The wind was howling and he could almost feel the crisp cold air. He loved the cold but could never get used to the dampness in the air. But he had learnt not to complain about the things that one could not control... which included the weather. 

He sat in traffic listening to Tchaikovsky on his music system in the car. The music drowned out the sound of the rain outside and the countless horns that gave him an endless migraine. 

The thing that always baffled him was one simple question... why in the heavens do people believe that blaring their horns in a stagnant traffic jam, like that, will miraculously make the vehicles move? He never understood that concept. Just thanked the gods for Nathaniel Baldwin, who set the basis for the invention of earphones. And... Steve Jobs. Thank you, lord.

He stopped at the cafe that he stops at every morning and sat near the window with his coffee. He was an old fashioned man and still preferred his newspapers in 'paper'. 

*knock knock*

All he could see was a black gleaming helmet. He was dressed in all black and combat boots. He could see the man make an action by tapping on his wrist. What an odd guy... ruining his morning peace.

"Sorry?"... "Oh, the time?" He saw the man nod.

"8:45" he showed his watch to the stranger to read.

Than guy nodded thank you and revved up the death machine that he called a motorcycle and drove away. 

He hated motorcycles as well.

He lost his father in a crash and has hated it ever since. He often wondered how crazy one was to spend money on these. But then he should never be the one to preach anyway, considering his younger days. 

Reminiscing was never a great idea.

He closed his newspaper abruptly and downed the rest of the coffee before taking off. He stepped outside before he heard a loud crash that gave him a start and almost dropped his laptop at what he saw outside. The motorist who had asked the time earlier was lying on the ground and his arm bent in a weird angle. His helmet had somehow come off and his face was bashed in.

He stood there in shock before he rushed into the oncoming towards traffic to the guy bleeding on the concrete. He knelt down and checked the man's vitals before yelling at a passerby to call the ambulance. The guy stood there in shock.

"I said call the ambulance!" The guy rushed to pick up his phone with his shaking fingers. He almost sympathised with the passerby, if the truck had turned further it could've easily hit the guy instead of the motorist. he still didn't understand how the accident happened. All he could tell was the truck was driving on the wrong side of the road.

He tried to keep the pressure on the head wound until the paramedics could arrive. 

He hated violence. He hated war. He hated everything that came with it, which included blood. It did not make him sick but he hated being near it.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He worked on autopilot the whole morning. He had to go to the hospital and describe the situation to the doctors as well as the police. The truck driver had bolted the minute he saw the damage he had done. His guess was that the driver only had minor injuries. 

He stood there looking through the glass. The guy was still in the ICU and the face was unrecognizable. If he didn't already know he was a guy he would have trouble identifying the gender from the face alone. The doctors informed him that his face would be fine once the swelling goes down and apart from a few stitched he should be okay.

The idiot wore the wrong sized helmet and didn't fasten it. Was it because he was late for something? or was it because he was a plain idiot? He had no answers.

All he could do was clean himself up in the hospital bathroom before getting a crappy cup of coffee. He thought about how he woke up this morning completely peaceful... fed his rabbit... took a warm shower... answered his emails and was ready to start his day with coffee from his favourite place.

He wondered how this man's morning was.

Did he sleep well the night before? Maybe he had good dreams? Maybe he got a promotion and was celebrating that night? Maybe he thought today would be a good day?

Oh god, what if he had a dog waiting for him at home?

He stood there with the paper coffee cup in his hand, staring, helpless. He felt a sudden wave of sadness for a man he doesn't even know. 

He had prayed. He had sat in that ambulance keeping the pressure on the wound and praying that the man survives. He was overcome with panic for the man's life and did the only thing that he could in that situation. Pray.

"Are you the guardian?"

"I'm sorry but no."

"Ah, you are the one that called the ambulance."

"Yes. Will he be okay?"

"He should be. I'm sorry is just some paperwork that you need to sign for us. As we are having a very hard time getting hold of his guardian. Do not worry, it is nothing serious. We just need to know that you were the witness and that you will help us with this investigation when called. you think you can do that for us sir?"

"I believe I described the situation already to your partner?"

"Yes, I know. You never saw the driver's face correct?"

"Yes that is correct."

"Any idea about his body structure? It can help us narrow it down."

"That I can help with. He was..."

"Not now. How about Thursday morning? You can come down to the station and give us a detailed statement."

"I can do that."

"Thank you. I suggest you go home and get some rest. Good day sir."

"You too."

He hated dealing with rude people but he kept calm. He turned towards the glass again and looked at the man connected to the many types of equipment that he cannot even name. The only sign of life were the monitors beeping. 

He sighed deeply before sitting on one of the chairs and sipping his now cold coffee. He gulped the disgusting liquid before deciding to go home and change into clothes that did not have any blood on them and then come back. For some reason, he could not just go back to his day like this never happened. He also had to feed his rabbit.

He got up. Took one long look at the man and left. The man had been like a tick in his mind since the minute he knocked on that glass. Like an itch, that he could not get rid off.

"Be alive when I get back stranger."

_\----------------------------------------------to be continued............................_


	2. The arrival

* * *

2.The Arrival

* * *

The parts in 'italics' and in single quotes '_' are the person's thoughts. 

Whereas the normal ones in double-quotes "_" are live conversations.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Tall, paunchy man with a height of almost 6 feet. He could be in his mid-40s. red hair. Pale skin with red spots on his forearm, indications of sunburn or allergies. He wore a blue short-sleeved shirt and navy pants. Some kind of standard issued uniform. He works for a delivery company called as Potter's I believe."......"And he favours his left leg."

The police officer sat there looking at his face while he recited the description from his memory. 

"You got all that before he ran off?"

"Yes."

"But you didn't see his face?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Pardon me?"

"You can give me an entire description of a guy but you didn't somehow see his face?"

"He ran away, turned away from me. Hence why I didn't see his face. I believe there is enough to get him."

"Well, that is for us to decide son."

"I see. If you need nothing else from me, I shall leave now,"

"Just write your name down and sign here, please. And you might need to come down here should we call you." The officer handed him a pen.

"Lan Wangji? Why does that name sound familiar? have we meet?"

"No."

"But seriously, how can you remember all that?"

"I have an eidetic memory."

"Eidetic what?"

"Good day officer."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

_'You better be still breathing stranger.'_

He went up to the ICU to see if he was doing okay but found the room to be empty. He stopped a nurse to ask what was happening.

"Excuse me? There was a man in that room brought in for a motorcycle accident?"

"Uh...?" She stood there looking at him for a full minute and seem to have forgotten her words. 

_'Not this again'_

He knows he is good looking. He has been aware of it since high school. But why people stop talking just because he is good looking he will never know. He was only human, not a creature that escaped from the zoo. His brother used to make fun on him every time a stranger blushed while talking to him. He did not like it.

"Miss?"

"Oh yes!! Sorry! Where are my manners! He was moved to another room as he was out of the critical condition. But he still must remain in bed and should be monitored all the time. I can take you to his room, are you family?"

"No."

"All right! Friends then?"

"No."

"Oh."

She was jittery the entire 5 minutes that they spent together. She took him to a long corridor before turning and pointing. "The last room. Room 204. visiting hours end in 15 minutes but you can stay for another 15."

She gave him a flirty smile and rearranged her hair. 

"Fang." She giggled.

"I don't understand...?"

"Oh, that's my name! Silly me"

"Thank you... Fang. I will take it from here."

She breathed hard before bidding him goodbye.

 _'What is with the hair?'_ He never understood why women do that and why men found it appealing. But then again, he never found women appealing anyway. 

Before he could knock, the door opened and a woman stepped out. She was short and petite with beautiful dark hair. She looked at him with a small smile and said "How can I help?"

"Hello. I'm Lan Wangji, I'm the one that brought him to the hospital."

"Ah! It was you!" She held both his hands in his and gave him a soulful smile. She had the kind of smile that made you want to be happy. It was infectious. He almost smiled.

"Yes, ma'am. Is he okay?"

"He is recovering. But he still needs to be monitored. Thank you! I'm really really grateful."

"It's okay." 

"Please let me buy you lunch. That's the least I can do. And please stop calling me ma'am? I know I'm old but not that old." She gave him a sheepish smile.

"Of course not! I only meant out of respect."

"Jiang Yanli. A pleasure to meet you." She held out his hand.

He grabbed her hand in a firm handshake. She might look tiny but the handshake showed that she had a lot more personality than what she showed. 

"Nice to meet you..." "Excuse me. I should take this."

She looked at him while he was on the phone. She wanted to assess what kind of a guy he was but with his poker face and that even tone of voice, he gave nothing away. He was definitely handsome. The only comparison that she could make was to those beautiful roman statues made out of marble... She saw them once and had thought _'beautiful but lifeless'._

He was a hard man to read. But she could already tell that he was a kind man. That is probably the most important quality of all things. He was also impeccably dressed. He did not overdo it but the black shirt he wore was neatly pressed and matched the grey of his pants. He wore black dress shoes and a grey blazer. Not a single hair was out of place and that took discipline. 

"I apologize. I must refuse your offer for lunch. Something came up, I must leave."

"That is not a problem. Maybe the next time you get to meet Wei Ying?"

"Who?"

She laughed a bit and said "The man you saved. You didn't even know his name, did you?"

_'Wei Ying? Interesting name indeed.'_

"I suppose I didn't. Good day then."

"Good day to you too." She gave him a charming smile before going back in. 

He could see why this Wei Ying liked this woman. She had more soul and charm than half the women he had met in his entire life. She had a gentle strength to her that reminded him vaguely of his mother. He stopped for a minute. He hadn't thought of his mother in a long time. 

He fastened his seat belt and revved up the engine.

He found himself reminiscing about his family in the car ride. He thought about his mother. A woman that was only a part of his childhood. A woman who's memories were slowly fading now. He tried to remember the way she smiled and he couldn't. But he could remember the way he had felt. It was warm like the summer wind. 

He sighed before make a turn.

\----------------------------------------------------------------

Terminal 4 

It was written in big red letters. He waited under them and found his mind wandering to the man in the hospital. It was weird that his life was tangled up with a man that he didn't even know the name of. He definitely didn't know how he looked. The only thing he could tell was that he had long hair.

He had gone with the trend and had grown it out in college but that was a period of life he really wished to forget. It was too much work and it made him look a bit too much like his mother. He had his relatives casually mentioning it to him during family gatherings. They still hated his mother and didn't bother having the decency to hide it.

"Still ever so serious little brother. Come, give me a hug."

"Brother."

He gave his brother a big hug before talking again. "How is the business?"

"Good. Very good. But I'm not here to talk about the business. I'm here to get away from all that little brother. How are you? Did anything interesting happen?"

"No."

"I flew over a thousand miles to meet you and your response is no? Come on, talk now." He gave him one of his signature smiles before putting an arm around his shoulder. 

\-------------------------------------To be continued....................

Author's notes: This is the how I imagine Lan Wangji being dressed. 


	3. The Debut

* * *

3.The Debut

* * *

He forgot the date and the day. He forgot what time it was. He had spent a week cooped up in his lavish apartment with no contact from the outer world. He had to finish this. By the time he emerged outside he had lost count of the number of days he had spent inside. 

He was unprepared for the date to read the 22nd of March. Had he really spent a week confined in his apartment? It was a miracle he didn't run out food. He thanked his uncle for raising him with discipline. He always brought at least two weeks' worth of groceries. 

He decided to do his everyday work out and head outside. He started with core strengthening work-outs including planks, regular push-ups, crunches, arm crunches with weights and handstands for his balance. And finished off his routine with a solid 30-minute meditation in absolute silence. 

It was like clockwork.   
Wake up.  
Brush your teeth.  
Work out before eating anything.  
Take a breather and read the newspaper.  
Shower.  
Breakfast.  
Then his day starts...

He had really wanted to check up on the injured man. For some reason, that strange man had become his responsibility. He could easily walk away and never see him. He had no compulsion to ensure his well-being. He had done his part as a good samaritan by bringing him to the hospital on time. 

The feeling was similar to an earworm that you cannot get rid of. For some reason, he gravitated towards the strange man who rides a death machine and is reckless. The stranger is a combination of everything that he hates. Yet he was unable to turn around and not look back. 

Don't' we all have this feeling? When we stand at the top of a building and have a sudden urge to jump? That is what he was feeling and it confused him. He needed to see the man to put everything behind him and walk away.

\-----------------------------------

He should be home by now. He remembered the man's address from his partially burnt ID. The face and the name were burnt off so he couldn't tell much about the man himself. But the address was clean. The apartment was located in a small neighbourhood that was not particularly beautiful or posh but it held a quaint charm to it.

The fact that he remembers the address could come off as very creepy, which he is aware of. Every time he tells someone about how he remembers things they have always given him a wary and careful look. _'Did he even look like someone that would rob someone?'_

He kicked on the door. Two sharp raps.

It took a while for the door to open and he assumed that the owner was out. The lock clicked and the door creaked open. 

"My saviour" He grinned a feline grin. 

' _Breathe now.'_

"Do you speak or should I learn sign language?" He grinned again. 

_Beautiful._

"Wei Ying." He extended his right arm in a polite greeting, with his left hand still in a cast. "Nice to meet you, stranger." His voice held all the sass in the world. 

He looked at the arm like a dumbass before catching that hand in a good handshake. 

Rough hands. He noticed. 

"Lan Wangji."

"Come in" That smile didn't leave the other man's face as he ushered him in. 

The apartment was not big by any standards but it was definitely original. He could see a spacious living room with a beautiful black marbled kitchen top. Most of the apartment was decorated in some shade of black, grey or white. There were posters of Rock bands and a few classical ones he recognized such as Queen and AC/DC. They were anything but monochrome. It was a dash of colours splashed on the walls. 

He turned his head and saw a scarlet red couch in the centre. It was such a sharp colour to the monochrome backdrop and the other man plopped on it in the smack centre of it. The colour of his skin made a marvellous contrast to the red of the couch that it made his brain go to inappropriate places and think of thoughts that he had no right to think of. 

_'Stop. Now.'_

"Thank you. For saving me."

"You were very careless."

"Wow! 2 minutes and you are already lecturing me." His icy demeanour did not seem to affect the man seated in front of him. 

"I only meant that you should've been careful. Cars are better."

"I know what you meant and I appreciate the concern. But I'm not going to buy sedans and wear flat shoes just because of the crash. Kind stranger."

The 'kind stranger' held so much sarcasm that it hurt his brain. 

"Maybe.. I should leave."

"Nonsense. Stay. I make a killer margarita. Oh wait! No drinking. Doctor's orders. But I still make good coffee. Interested?" He got up from the couch without waiting for a response, went straight to the kitchen and started taking out the mugs. Rays of sun hit the kitchen through the balcony doors. The direct sunlight made the black marble glitter. 

The man turned around. 

The eyes were the first thing that he noticed. They were brown but now he could see gold flecks in them. The swelling had reduced a lot and he could see a sharp nose. He could also see the hair more clearly now. It was past his shoulders and shimmered like pulled silk. He was suddenly reminded of the fairytales that his mother used to tell him when he was a child. The scars were still fresh and he could see them all clearly now. His face, his neck and his arms seem to have a few scars. Yet all he could think was...

_Beautiful._

The scars did nothing to diminish his beauty. He didn't hunch but neither did he stand upright. He had a tendency to lean towards things he noticed. And currently, he was leaning towards the counter.

Wei Ying placed two steaming mugs of coffee in front of him and asked "Cream and sugar?"

He replied without breaking the eye contact "No. Thank you. I take it black."

"Crispt and dull. Like your personality!" His face lit up with that statement but his eyes remained condescending. He was challenging Lan Wangji to say something to refute that statement and eventually start an argument. He remained silent.

"Aww cmon, don't be like that! I was only joking." "Partly." "Do you ever smile?"

"I am human."

"If you say so..."

"How are your wounds? And your arm?"

"Has to be kept in the cast for a while and I have these ugly scars all over. Otherwise, all good." Even as he said those words, he remained completely comfortable. He did not bother hiding them and was completely at peace with them. Interesting man indeed.....

Lan Wangji realised that he had been leering at that man for a while now. He abruptly looked up to see an observant pair of eyes looking at him. 

"Like what you see?"

Lan Wangji was completely taken back! "Excuse me?" 

"Hahaha! I am only joking!" 

He schooled his features and gently took his leave. "I must be going now. I have to meet my brother."

"Oh you have a brother? Me too! He's like you just a bit more prissy." He grinned that Cheshire grin again. "It was a pleasure meeting you even though you don't talk much. Thank you for checking up on me. Hey, how did you get the address?"

_shit._

"I remembered it from your ID. I happen to have an eidetic memory... I remember things..."

"...After just a single glance... I know. That is so cool! Give me your number? You could come useful to me someday"

Well, that was an unexpected improvement.

"Okay... **** *****."

His phone rang. 

"Mine. Save it." He said it with so much conviction that Lan Wangji was at an actual loss for words. For once it had nothing to do with his lacking social skills. 

"Okay?... I must really leave now. Please do take care Mr..."

"Nope. we are not doing that. I believe we are past the honorifics. Call me Wei Ying." He smiled. Actually smiled a real smile rather than a sassy one. 

_Beautiful._

_'Okay, that was the third time. What in the world is happening?'_

Lan Wangji cleared his throat and turned around to leave. "Good day... Wei Ying."

"You too stranger!"

The door clicked shut. He wanted to jump with joy and slump down on the floor at the same some. 

That was exhilarating. Now he needs to listen to his brother's badgering on not calling him for a week. 

He looked at his phone. Sighed. And got inside the elevators.

\-------------------------------To be continued...............................

  
  



	4. The text

* * *

4.The Text

* * *

Wei Ying had a girlfriend.   
He had a girlfriend. 

It ran on repeat in his head. And she was a lovely person, to be honest. He could not find it in him to hold anything against that woman. He could see why someone would want to be with her. 

He of all people should not be obsessing over a man. Should not be this charmed by a rude, loud and a reckless man who probably liked anime.

He held his head in his hands and closed his eyes. He needed to clear his mind. He changed the mode to silent on his phone and decided to meditate. That always helped him.

He could only concentrate for 15 minutes before he was daydreaming about whisky brown eyes and dark shimmering hair. He sat there sighing. He was not a man that sighs a lot. He was not a man that pursued anyone. He had never done that. He got a lot of attention from men and women alike. For the first time, he was at a loss on what to do. Half of him wanted to run away somewhere far and the other half wanted to scream at the top of his lungs. He chose to do neither.

*typing***

*'Hello Wei Ying, this is Lan Wangji. How are your injuries?'*

He looked at the text that he had typed. It sounded like a formal email for a sales pitch.

God help him.

_'Why he was hung up on a single encounter with a man he met twice?'_

He knew he liked men since he was 15. It was no surprise to him anymore. But it actually surprised a lot of people when they came to know and that was not a lot of people. Some judged. Some were shocked. Some avoided him. His brother accepted it without question. For that, he will always be grateful to him. The rest of his family was not that accepting.

They correlated his personality, the build of his body and his clothes to his sexual orientation. Why did everyone believe that gay men went around wearing fur and tight pants? Do they not realise how uncomfortable it is?

He had never justified himself to anyone. He was true to himself and did not want to torture himself about stereotypes that people may or may not have.

_"Self-love, my liege, is not so vile a sin, as self-neglecting." - King Henry V_

There was a reason why people loved Shakespeare and this was it. The man was able to capture complex emotions in a single line. King Henry had been one of his favourites and still is.

And he liked a man that liked cartoon characters. Shit.

He was almost sure that he saw a vague poster of some anime at Wei Ying's apartment. Anime! Why is he obsessed with this man of all people? And he was straight.

He should be working. Not having a complex inner monologue about an SMS.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He came back from his run to see one missed call and a few messages. 

*Pretty good actually. I was wondering, are you free today?*  
*I need to pick up some books and it is quite hard with one hand. Can you help me?*  
*All right. All right. you're busy. I get it.*

No! He was not busy!

*Absolutely not!....* He shouldn't sound so eager. He deleted it before typing... *I was out for a run. Do you still need help?*

*Meet me at my place at 5?*

*Of course*

*See you then. -Sincerely, Wei Ying :P*

Okay, now he was mocking him.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

The door opened. 

He was right. The man did like anime. There were a few posters that he missed in his previous visit as he was busy salivating over the man himself. 

"You know how I knew it was you? Come in. You always rap twice on the door. Always with the same intensity and same volume. You are very predictable. Do you want coffee or do you want to leave right away? I do remember you enjoying the coffee the last time"

Lan Wangji was silent for a full minute.

"What?"

"...Do you always talk this way or is today special?"

"I always talk a lot. you might as well get used to it if we are going to be friends."

"Friends?"

"Yes, friends. You know, two people who enjoy each other's company and spend time together? Not naked." He grinned at that quip. "Well... occasionally naked."

Lan Wangji had to swallow hard at that. "Excuse me?"

"Kidding!! I believe we are already friends. You wouldn't have come over otherwise to help."

 _'Oh, you would be surprised if you knew the reason'_ Lan Wangji felt as though he was lying to a guy who genuinely wanted to be friends. Whereas he keeps thinking about this man and his beautiful brown eyes. He did not have many friends but he was sure that one does not daydream about friends and their hair... and their smile... and their adam's apple.

 _'wait...Adam's apple?? What in the world!'_ He was officially going crazy.

"Do you always stare at people and not say anything or is today special?" Now he was definitely teasing.

"I apologize. I have to meet someone afterwards so could we leave now?"

"Sure! Let me change into something more outside friendly."

20 minutes later he stepped out in dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt. Combat boots and his hair in a ponytail. Lan Wangji's eyes seem to zero in on the collar bones peaking from under the shirt. He put on a black leather jacket and left the other one hanging from his left arm. 

His arm was no longer under the sling but it was still in its cast, which made it hard to put the arm through the jacket. 

"Should I.. may I... Help?"

"I can't get the arm through but could you pull the jacket over the shoulder?"

He stepped closet to the man and pulled the jacket over his shoulders. He had a hard time concentrating with the smell of the perfume. It was vanilla, definitely. But there were undertones of something heavier with it. It said -I'm nice but not that nice. 

"Done." He stepped away gently. 

Wei Ying said nothing but gave him a saucy smile. "It's Dior..."

"I beg your pardon?"

"The perfume. Like it?"

"Um... we should go." "What are we exactly doing?"

"We are picking up a few books from a bookshop which I need before I go back to work."

"What do you do, if I may ask?"

"I teach."

"Really?" He did not mean to sound that surprised.

"Wow, that's a low blow. Do I really look that dumb to you?"

"I apologise that is not what my surprise meant."

"Really? What did it mean?" There it was again. The silent challenge in his look. He was daring Lan Wangji to say something offensive so that he can rip him a new one. He cocked an eyebrow up and waited.

"I'm sorry, it was wrong of me to judge."

"Yes, it was. And as a punishment, you are buying me dinner tomorrow. Yes?"

"Of course..."

"I teach about propulsion systems to engineering students. For your information, I'm an MIT graduate. Not so dumb now eh?" He slid in as Lan Wangji held the car door open for him. 

"I..." He cleared his throat before saying anything. 

_'The man liked anime. How was he supposed to know?'_

_'Fix it. Fix it now.'_

"Why are you into teaching? You can get jobs that pay you far more for your credentials."

"Because I like teaching. Should there really be some philosophical or emotional reason for this? I just like teaching. It's exciting to work with students. I'm never bored!" He turned to look at Lan Wangji and asked, "Banker, are you?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Hmm.... interesting indeed. You are not interested in a money-making job, which is apparent from your defensive response. Yet, you wear a finely cut Italian jacket. Family money then. Heir... Interesting indeed. Popular?"

"I would prefer to not talk about it. Address please?" He cut off Wei Ying in a crisp and clear voice. His family was not something that he ever preferred to discuss with anyone. As attracted as he was to Wei Ying, he was still a stranger to him.

He typed in the address in the GPS system of the car. "Someday stranger. Someday you'll tell me all I want to know." He gave a wide grin before strapping on. 

"I highly doubt it."

\------------------------------------------To be continued...............................


	5. The Dinner

* * *

5.The Dinner

* * *

Author's notes : 

The sentences enclosed in ** are telephonic conversations or text messages.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They say that there is a fine line between love and hate. And he never believed that to be true. Love is a word that invokes compassion, passion and sometimes mercy. It is everything that makes and breaks kingdoms. Afterall, troy did fall because of Helen. Hate was everything opposite and vile. How could there be a fine line between them both?

But today... today he believed that there was a fine line.

He equally wanted to kiss him and put a fist through him. He was making it very hard to pick which one to do first. 

The argument would not subside. He looked like a siren when angry. His eyes had an angry glow to them which made them all the lovelier. He swore that he could see tiny sparks of lightning in his eyelashes. He had his hair open and looked wild when he lifted his chin up in challenge. Oh, how we wanted to sink his teeth in that fine patch of skin underneath his jaw.

_'What were they arguing about again?' 'Oh right! He was trying to psychoanalyze him.'_

"All I'm saying that the world is never black and white. There is a huge grey area that people tend to ignore a lot. Which, apparently you do too."

"Are you saying that I should sympathise with a murderer?"

"You look like a guy that sympathises with no one actually." He sat up haughtily in his chair with his right arm over his armrest like a king.

"Please answer the question."

"Not exactly... But would you?"

"I will sympathise with anyone who's wrongfully accused."

"So you do not believe in second chances? Do you not believe that people are capable of change?"

"The real world isn't rainbows and sunshine Wei Ying."

"Exactly. It isn't. Shouldn't we sympathise more in that case?"

"No."

His face changed. The smile that seemed to be etched on his face dropped. The warm demeanour that he always displayed shattered and the man beneath peaked out. Lan Wangji had always felt that Wei Ying was always putting on a display with a happy face. Looked like he was right. 

"Morals are good Lan Wangji. But, blind morals will make you lose good people. It will only allow you to see the ugly and miss the beautiful. Mark my words."

Lan Wangji silently considered the words but refused to agree. He kept his mouth shut afraid that he would start another argument. He silently contemplated the man in front of him. Perhaps they were more different than he originally thought they were. Perhaps he was deluding himself with the friendship nonsense. 

Wei Ying was the first to speak up. "It's getting late. I'm sure you have other important things to do. Shall we leave then?"

"Yes of course. I will get the bill. After all, I did promise you dinner."

"Haha... I forced you into this. You promised me nothing, but thank you." This time that laughter did not reach his eyes. The sparkle that usually resided in those wide brown eyes were gone and they were neutral. 

\----------------------------------------------------------

They stepped out in the drizzle. It was mildly wet and chilly outside. 

"Let me go get my car."

"It's all right! I will get a taxi. It's easier."

"Wei Ying ..." He changed his mind in the last minute. He did not want to justify his morals. He knew he was right. "...Thank you for the evening."

"My pleasure. It's lovely weather isn't it?"

"I'm sorry but I hate the rain."

"Of course you do... Well then, I should get going." He gave a small courteous smile to Lan Wangji before stepping out in the rain. 

"Wei Ying... maybe you should wait for a taxi here?"

"A little rain never killed anyone! Bye!"

He left before Lan Wangji could get another word in. 

He thought about his entire evening with Wei Ying. He had taken him to dinner as promised and conversation had flowed, mostly on Wei Ying's part. They spoke mostly about his job and how much he has fun working with students, especially the freshmen when it's easier to scare them. 

He had laughed and Lan Wangji had forgotten to breathe. 

Wei Ying had looked crisp in a white shirt that was almost translucent. He had his signature black jacket on and looked alluring in white. Lan Wangji had a weakness for people wearing white. He had to fight the insane temptation to take Wei Ying in his arms and feel those ridges underneath his fingertips. His brain had wanted to do a lot more things.

He was pining over a man he can never have. A man with a woman. A man with completely opposite taste in music and everything else he can imagine. His interior design almost gave him a headache with all the colours. It was not an open designed apartment. Not much light came in unless it was the kitchen. It irked him and triggered his OCD, yet Wei Ying was completely at ease with the darkness. Liked it, in fact.

The evening took a turn for worse when he asked about Lan Wangji's family again. That changed eventually and Wei Ying began trying to decipher him with deep questions. Most of which irritated him because they clearly had only one answer. But Wei Ying insisted that he was not right. He challenged him at every question to take a second look. Nobody has ever done that to him and it made him very uncomfortable. 

His snappy replies made Wei Ying's smile drop bit by bit until he lost it all at the last question. 

Why is he doing this?

Why is he thinking day and night about a man that he barely had a few conversations with? What was it about him that drew Lan Wangji to him? A taken man nonetheless. A man who liked women.

Lan Wangji would never make a move on someone taken. Never. 

But he found himself drawn like a moth to a flame. He found himself intrigued by Wei Ying at every turn. The man was smart. Very smart. His silly anime posters didn't mean anything. He was very intelligent and he could see it at certain conversations. He could almost hear the gears in his head turning sometimes when he thought about something deep.

He had a sharp wit and an even sharper tongue. 

Lan Wangji really hopes that this all was purely physical. Even human had physical needs and it sometimes made us hormonal and irrational. At least if it was physical, he can put it behind him. 

This was his body being neglected for a while and hence it acted up while facing an attractive stranger. 

This was not love or magic or whatsoever people speak of in books. He must put this behind him. He was not sure he could sustain a friendship with someone so radically different from him in every way possible. 

From his last interaction, he was very sure that Wei Ying would not want anything to do with him anymore. He probably realised that this was all pointless. Maybe he is offended. 

He will not call. 

There was a pang in his chest when he thought of never seeing Wei Ying again. He pushed it back in and walked with purpose towards the parking lot. 

If it was physical needs he will tend to them. Men and women did throw themselves at him all the time. He was never the type to be satisfied with sex when it was purely physical. People call him old fashioned. Not that it bothered him.

Maybe he will go to his brother's party. Maybe he will meet someone there and put this nonsense behind him. 

He rang. is brother picked up after 2 rings.

*Pleasant surprise brother! How is your evening?*

*I will come to your company's party next weekend.*

*Wow... did not see that coming. You hate these things, Lan Zhan. What changed?* His brother was worried, he could tell.

*I just need a change of pace, is all.*

*You are a bad liar brother. You will tell me the truth at the party. See you then!* Lan Xichen said that with conviction before hanging up.

This was going to be long conversation. 

\--------------------------------------------To be continued.............................................


	6. The Fairytale

* * *

6.The Fairytale

_*Do you like nightclubs?*_

He stared at the message for a long time. The time was 15:00 hrs now. He received the message an hour ago. He had been silently contemplating the message until now. 

He had come home that day after the dinner in a trance. He silently sat in his living room and all he could think about was Wei Ying. The way he spoke about things that made them all the more interesting. He could talk about toilet paper and Lan Wangji would still take mental notes.

Now he received a random message after days of not talking. He was sure that Wei Ying would want nothing to do with him after their argument. Then he goes and sends a random message in the middle of the day. 

He hated nightclubs. And he was sure that Wei Ying knew that but was purposely taunting him. 

_*I'm sorry but I'm not overly fond of them*_

He got a response after a few minutes. _*is that a polite way of saying -I hate it?*_

Sigh.... _*I suppose so.*_

*Would you like to come anyway? One of my friends is DJing there.*

Okay... improvement. He doesn't hate Lan Wangji. 

1\. He really wanted to see Wei Ying.   
2\. But he really hated nightclubs.

He hated sweaty, intoxicated people grinding against each other. He hated loud music and he definitely hated the dim lighting and the fashion. It was glitter everywhere! What was wrong with normal clothing?

He knew he would regret this decision the minute he sent the response. God be with him. 

_*Okay. When?*_

_*Tonight. 10pm. I will text you the address.*_

_*It's a weekday.*_

_*Your point being?*_ Right. He forgot Wei Ying was a child in an adult's body _._

_*Nothing. I will be there.*_

*Good.* that simple good said a lot of things. He could almost hear Wei Ying's gloating. That man was pushing his boundaries. What's worse was... he was letting him do it. 

\---------------------------------------------------------

The minute he stepped into the nightclub he knew that there was someone, somewhere in the universe was having a fantastic time by watching him suffer. You know how they say that God puts you in tough situations to test you? 

He would really appreciate it if god could show him some mercy now. 

It was a swanky little place with blue neon lights and a bar as soon as you enter. It's an interesting setting because as you see the bar when you enter which tricks your brain into thinking that you need a drink. Or at least makes you sit, which eventually gets you to buy a drink. Smart guys.

It was a beautiful glass countertop under which you could see the different coloured bottles. Even though he hated being here, he could appreciate the artistic value of it. 

Everything else was trash. 

Except... the man.

He waved from the crowd of dancing bodies and made his way towards him. 

If he was a man of lesser self-control, his jaw would be hanging down. 

Wei Ying wore a see-through white shirt. It was barely there! Why is this man practically naked??  
Dark jeans which were probably black. He couldn't tell in the neon lights. Signature combat boots and hair in a tight French braid. His hand was still in a bandage but somehow he made it look sexy rather than sick. He swallowed and waved. 

"Nice of you to show up. I thought you wouldn't. You hate the music don't you?"

"I considered it. I hate it, yes."

"Always liked the honesty in a guy. Especially when you make it make sooo appealing." He said that with a deadpanned expression in his face while ordering a beer. His sarcasm was truly on point. 

The lights fell on the glass countertop and a part of them got reflected, which lit up Wei Ying's face in an unusual glow. He could clearly see the jawline and the cheekbones with shadows under them. His face appeared gothic. Give him a cape and he could easily play Dracula.   
A beautiful one.

"Beer, Remi. With a kick. Make it two."

"kick?"

"You'll see." He had the same old Cheshire smile on his face.

The bartender places the two pints of beer on the counter. "Try it before you hate it. Not all things are evil."

It definitely had a kick. He coughed a bit before looked at Wei Ying for an explanation.

"Hahaha! It is beer with a bit of tequila and paprika. Not for the faint-hearted but still quite mild by my standards. Lan Wangji I must ask you something very serious."

"Yes??" 

"Are you of the legal drinking age?"

"Very funny."

"Yeah, I thought it was." He chuckled before turning completely to look at him. 

Those eyes were going to be his undoing. He cleared his throat and took another swing at the beer. The taste was kind of growing on him or he was getting tipsy. Either way... good times.

"Now we're talking...Good right?" 

"Plausible."

"Haha... serious man." He paused before talking again. "Look, I must apologise. I had no right to push you to talk about your family, you had every right to get defensive."

"... It's all right."

"So we're still friends?"

"...I would say so..."

"You don't sound that sure." He grinned at Lan Wangji. He was teasing again.   
"Do you like hotdogs?"

"You like asking random questions don't you?"

"My dear Lan Wangji. My questions always have a purpose. Such as hunger! They only serve appetizers here and I know a food truck not far from here. What do you say?"

"I haven't had a hotdog in 6 months. Sure." 

"Are you serious? ...No wait... Don't answer that! You're always serious."

He drowned the beer in one go. "Let's go."

"damn! You do know how to drink. Very impressed." 

"How far is the food truck?"

"Not far. Leave your car, let's walk. I need to stretch my legs. Now that the wounds have considerably healed."

"I apologise, I forgot. How are you?"

"Haha... How do you think?" He walked 2 steps forward and turned to look at him. "Go on... take a look and tell me."

He took a long look from head to toe and said, "Hot." without missing a beat.

He saw Wei Ying's smile fall at that comment. An even bigger smile replaced the previous one. He lifted a smooth eyebrow as to ask -Did I hear that right?

"Um...."

"My my Lan Wangji, I don't think I have ever heard you say um... That beer must have been magic. Cmon..." he gently tugged on his arm to get him moving. 

Breathe. Breathe man.

"Are you sure you're okay Lan Wangji? You look a little out of it."

"LanZhanmyname,,,,"

"I didn't catch that?"

"Lan Zhan.. That is my birth name."

"Lan Zhan... is it?" 

Oh...... He liked that. He liked the way the name rolled of the man's tongue like honey. He wanted to see what else rolled off that tongue.

"I truly must be attractive. Or you just like starting at people. I'll bet good money that it's the former." 

He crossed the distance between them and stood in front of Lan Zhan. They were the same height and met eye to eye. 

There was electricity in the air. A faint buzzing in his ear and the atmosphere was thick with unsaid things. 3 inches... that's all the distance that Lan Wangji needs to cross and he could meet bliss. Yet he stood rooted to the place, those impossibly dark eyes holding him in place.

"I... am not hungry. I must go home. I have work tomorrow." Lan Wangji abruptly walked past him breaking the moment. 

"What are you afraid of Lan Wangji?" That made him stop. He replied without turning around.

"I'm scared that if I touch you the spell will wear off..." He paused "...and you will disappear."

"Maybe I will turn into a beast. Who knows. There are all sorts of fairytales Lan Zhan. Men who brave them become the eventual heroes of their story. Don't they?"

He left without another word to Wei Ying. He was scared that the alcohol would make him say things that he normally wouldn't.

_'Note to self : Do not drink around Wei Ying'_

"Goodbye Wei Ying." He walked as fast as he could back to his car.

"This isn't over!" He heard the man yell as he walked away.

_'He wasn't running away. He wasn't! He just had to feed his rabbit.'_

\------------------------------------------------To be continued..........................................

Author's notes :

FYI, I did a random sketch of a rabbit. He turned out a lot more serious than expected.

* * *


	7. The Flute

* * *

7.The Flute

* * *

How did this happen? How did he end up inviting Wei Ying for the party? His brother was going to rip him a new one. 

It all started when be began to apologize to Wei Ying for abruptly leaving that night. He knew that being a gentleman would someday bite him back in the butt. He never realised it would be too soon. Wei Ying had called him out on his apology and asked him to make it up to him. Being the naive man that he was, he had invited Wei Ying to his brother's party like an idiot. 

Now he was dressed in a 3-piece suit with gelled hair and waiting for Wei Ying downstairs. 

_'This was not going to be good....... Okay, I take that back. Do not let your jaw drop. Do not do it. Don't!'_

"You look good in that suit Lan Zhan. Italian?"

He cleared his throat before answering, "Yes".

"Very beautiful... indeed." He went around Lan Zhan and gave him a 360-degree look. "Indeed..." He finally met his eyes and smiled his signature smile. 

"You did not say how I looked."

"You look like you are going to a funeral."

"Haha! Does not mean I don't look sexy. Black happens to be my signature shade."

"I have noticed."

He was completely covered in a black suit with a scarlet red kerchief in the breast pocket. He wore no accessory but he definitely had makeup on. He could see that his eyes were much darker than usual and made him look feline. Wei Ying had charming big eyes but when you defined them with makeup they looked more streamlined and smoky. And when he lifted those eyebrows slightly... anyone could come under his spell. 

His hair was the first thing he noticed when Wei Ying turned around to slide into the car. It was left to flow down his back. It was unrestrained and untied. He wondered what it would feel like to run his fingers through them.... and pull.

_'Oh no. Dangerous territory.'_

The suit accentuated his shoulders. Wei Ying usually wore loose clothing and you could not see much of the body structure in them. Lan Zhan would be lying if he said that he hasn't dreamt about them. The fabric did wonders to Wei Ying's colouring. It was a mix of something with silk. It had a very mild shine to it but not noticeable unless you paid attention to it. And the sling was finally gone. Wait...

"Your arm bandage?"

"Oh yeah! The doc took it off yesterday. But I still need to take it easy and not drive for a while now. Which is very sad. I miss my baby."

"You'll survive."

"Thank you, killjoy. So where is this party?"

"It is a bit far. You can pick the music if you wish to pass the time."

"Okay!"

\--------------------------------

He regretted saying that.

They have been on the road for over 30 minutes and Metallica has been blasting from his car's sound system for the whole time. He was very close to getting a migraine. Perks of being a gentleman. He still was reluctant to ask him to turn it off. 

Wei Ying was mouthing to the music and making silly gestures with his hands. Unfortunately for him, It was bloody adorable. 

They drove another 15 minutes before they came to a stop in front of a tall building. It was covered in glass and looked almost gloomy. 

"We're here."

"Yeah, I guessed."

"Did you?"

"You said it was a corporate party. Fits the bill. uptight people in glass buildings."

"It's my brother's company's party."

He saw Wei Ying clam up at that. "Oops?"

It was adorable and he almost smiled. "Sure it was a mistake."

"Haha... you know me too well Lan Zhan."

The lobby to the building was absolutely grand. It held a sparkling crystal chandelier in the centre of the room with painted tiles on the floor. There were impeccably dressed guards posted at the exits and entrances. It's easy to tell that this building was reserved for the rich. It irritated Wei Ying but he chose to behave. They got into the elevator and Lan Wangji pressed 36.

The elevator opened to a lavish hall, surprisingly the decor was very minimal. Unlike the lobby, the hall itself held pastel coloured flowers for the table setting. The table cloths were a mild blue and the napkins were a royal blue. It had a small dance floor which opened up to a small stage situated at the head of the room. 

The best part about the hall was the high ceiling. It held the same crystal chandeliers as the lobby and it refracted the lights to form a beautiful spectrum of colours on the ceiling. 

There were big windows that were covered in glass and opened up to a view of the city lights. Absolutely breathtaking!

The room did not scream money but it screamed class. It was muted sophistication with no need for grandeur. 

"Simple yet elegant. Not bad."

A waiter came and ushered them both in, to a table situated near the stage. They were both poured some expensive champagne and were served hor d'oeuvres. Dinner was to be served in 15 minutes. 

a guy came on the stage and started talking. "Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the 76th annual fundraising event. I see some old face and some new. I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to today's auction's artefacts!"

A round of applause arose and the event started. There was a welcome speech by someone... Wei Ying tuned it out.

"Sorry I'm late, I had to deal with last minute emergencies. And who is this?"

The man that shook Wei Ying's hand looked like a carbon copy of Lan Wangji. Only that his features were very soft. His jawline was more oval rather than defined and his eyes were a soothing brown. Whilst Lan Wangji exuded cold distain, this man showed nothing but warmth.

"Did they make you both in a lab?"

"You were right brother, He is quite feisty." The said man extended his arm. "Lan Xichen, pleasure to make your acquaintance! I'm sure we weren't made in a lab, I can vouch for it. I was outside the delivery room when my mother gave birth to Lan Zhan."

"Hahaha! I like you already! And feisty am I?" He turned to Lan Zhan and winked at him. Lan Zhan sat there with burning ears.

"Wei Ying! Pleasure is all mine."

Lan Xichen gave a mild chuckle and took a seat. "Enjoying the auction?"

"Your brother lied to me! He said it was a party!"

"Haha! Don't worry, the good parts come after the auction. Just bear with it."

"So what is the auction for?"

"We raise money for a humanitarian cause every year with this event. This time it is for the red cross. It is made sure that this money reaches the intended source, do not worry Wei Ying."

Wei Ying smiled but choose to stay quiet. 

The started with a beautiful ceramic vase from a wealthy Chinese family from Shanghai.

The vase was owned by some aristocrat or the other before Mao's revolution. It was intricately painted in royal blue ink which must've cost a fortune before Mao's revolution, as blue ink was very precious. The family's head was introduced as the donator and the bidding started. 

"Starting with 20,000 $!"

"22,000!"

"Oh wow.... that's a lot of money."

"Oh yes, the artefacts go over a few million sometimes." Lan Xichen gave a kind smile to Wei Ying's wide eyes. The auction went on for a while and different people all over the globe donated for this charity. 

"Here we have a handcrafted flute made out of Calacatta gold marble, embellished with antique yellow gold. The design represents a traditional bamboo flute but because it was carved in marble the price will be doubled for the workmanship. This piece is donated to us by the Lan family who had been the hosts of this auction for generations now. The piece is from the 18th century and the bidding will start at 1Million $. Do I hear more?"

"By... Lans, he means you Lan Zhan?"

"...Yes..." Lan Wangji gave a tentative agreement to the question. after which Wei Ying fell quiet. 

The event went on and they were served dinner. Which was a three-course meal with relatively simple dishes that made Wei Ying pause over the food. There was an endless flow of champagne to all the members present and cigars were available on demand. The auction ended and the music started and people started moving to the dance floor one by one.

"Well! It was fun meeting you Wei Ying! I must attend to my duties now and go socialise with my guests." He gave a beautiful smile and buttoned up his jacket. 

"And brother you must dance and loosen up a bit. Show your guest a good time! And please stop by Wednesday morning, I have a few things for you to sign. Gentlemen, good evening."

Only after his brother left did Lan Wangji notice that Wei Ying had been unusually quiet the entire time. He thought that he enjoyed music and dancing. _'What was wrong? He did apologise for the other night.'_

"Would you like to dance?"

"I must go home. I get back to work tomorrow. Thank you for the invitation Lan Wangji."

Wei Ying abruptly got up and buttoned up his jacket. He smiled at Lan Zhan and walked towards the exit.

_'Wait. What just happened?'_

\----------------------------------------To be continued.................


	8. The Book

* * *

8.The Book

* * *

"Wei Ying, did something happen?"

"You're from the Lan family?"

"Yes, I thought that was fairly obvious?"

"Don't get sassy with me Lan Wangji." His voice was sharp. Lan Wangji was taken aback at that tone.

"Wei Ying what's wrong?"

"Nothing Lan Zhan... I have to go."

Just when he was about to exit he bumped into someone entering the building. He was a tall man with eyes that were upturned and deep. He had a perpetual smirk etched on his face. From a distance the man looked handsome but the closer you got the more you could see the wrinkles and fine lines. It was easy to tell that this was a man that gave much importance to his looks. He had the kind of face that made the hair behind your neck stand up.

Wei Ying apologised, "I'm sorry!"

"Watch your way." Saying this that man went past Wei Ying. "Ah, Mr.Lan Wangji. Good to see you in today's event. I thought you wouldn't be joining us."

"Well... you thought wrong. Good evening."

"Good evening." The greeting was said with such an amount of bite to the tone that Wei Ying wondered if there was tension between them. The said man left and disappeared into the crowd.

Lan Wangji turned to Wei Ying. "Wei Ying, what is this about?"

"This!" Wei Ying gestured to the man and all of the room. "All of this!"

"What?" Lan Wangji stood there with a confused look on his face.

"Lan Zhan, I enjoy your company I truly do. But you and I are of different worlds. The champagne, the parties and the fine-cut Italian suits aren't my thing! You own a bloody flute which goes for a million dollars. You belong to one of the biggest politically affluent families who run a billion-dollar business! Our worlds are very different... This isn't me Lan Zhan."

Lan Wangji stood there looking at Wei Ying. Panic overtook him and he was at a loss for words. He did not understand what explanation he could possibly give Wei Ying. But he was not ready to lose him.

"Wei Ying we aren't that different."

"We were born at different places! How much more different can we get?!"

Wei Ying turned around went inside the elevator. Lan Wangji followed right behind him and pressed 0.

"I do not know anything about you. Do you realise that? I do not know what job you do. I didn't even know about your family until today. I thought we were friends. Turns out we are not even acquaintances..."

"Wei Ying..."

"What Lan Zhan? What can you possibly say?"

"You are drunk. This is the alcohol speaking."

As soon as those words left his mouth, Lan Wangji knew that they were the wrong thing to say. Wei Ying's eyes hardened and turned into stone. He fixed Lan Wangji with a wide-eyed stare that would've burnt him to the ground if he was a lesser man. 

"You!" He pointed one elegant finger in Lan Wangji's chest. "You bring me here to show off your wealth and how important you are! You throw it in my face and when I ask you about it, you call me a drunk?! Who do you think you are!? No wait. Don't answer that."

"Wha... That was not my intention at all Wei Ying!" The elevator pinged signalling the end. 

Wei Ying walked out without a second's thought. He walked out to the crisp air of the night. It was a beautiful moonlit night. 

"Let me show you then."

Wei Ying stopped and turned around. "Pardon me?"

"Will you allow me to show you that were are not that different?"

"pfh!" 

"Wei Ying, I am serious."

"Where?"

"To my place. Will you come?"

He hesitated a full minute before nodding at Lan Zhan.

He let out a breath that he did not know he was holding in. At least he was willing to listen. "This way. Let me drive us."

\--------------------------------------------------------

Wei Ying stepped out of the car.

"Oh you gotta be kidding me!"

"Wei Ying..."

"This is where you live? Are you serious?"

"Wei Ying... you said you will listen. Then do so."

"Fine."

He walked into the lobby and nodded to the guards standing there. 

"Good evening Mister Lan. You have a letter." The lady at the lobby gave a huge smile and nodded at him. She handed him the letter and left.

The reached the elevator and Wei Ying decided to loosen his tie. 

"So."

"So?"

"What do you do?"

"Maybe I should show you?"

"What's with the damn mystery? Are you in the Mafia?"

"What? Of course not!"

"Of course not. You are way too moral and uptight for your own good. Say, who was that a-hole that I bumped into earlier?"

"He was a business partner of my father's and still is one. Jin Guangshan is his name."

"I see. You don't like him very much do you?"

"I do not hate him."

"Rrrright. And I'm a full-grown koala bear." His sassy tone was back. Lan Wangji was glad that his voice was not cold anymore. Sarcasm he could handle. Even Anger. But not coldness. Not from Wei Ying. 

"We are here."

The elevator read 17 and they both stepped out. Lan Wangji pressed his finger for the machine to read.

"Fancy."

"Welcome. please."

Wei Ying stepped in and looked around. Lan Wangji braced himself for another sarcastic quip. 

"Hey were you robbed?" 

There it is.

"I like minimalistic living."

"Sure Sure. But you can't even tell that there is a person living here. Everything is in either beige or white. Seriously are you colour blind?"

Lan Wangji rolled his eyes at him.

"Wow!" Wei Ying stood there with his mouth gawking. "Did you just roll your eyes at me?... I don't think I have ever seen you do that." He turned around and took a look at the spacious living room that opened to a wide balcony. 

" You got alcohol?"

"Wei Ying I do not think that's a good idea. You had enough at the party."

"But you didn't. You bloody well pour us both a drink. I cannot handle this conversation without throwing something at your head unless... I have a drink."

This time Lan Zhan did sigh. He went to the kitchen and opened a cabinet and took out a crystal canister.

"My my rich guy. You sure do drink in style."

"This is my brother's. He left it the previous time he came over."

He took two glasses and poured them both a drink. Wei Ying took a good swing and emptied it.

"That is good Whisky! Damn big brother got great taste!" He poured himself a second one.

"Come." Lan Wangji took a sip of the drink and ushered Wei Ying inside. They went inside what seemed like a reading room. Wei Ying turned around and dropped his jaw. 

"What in the world...."

"You... have a wall filled with books... A wall Lan Zhan!"

Lan Wangji simply went to a corner of the wall and took out a book that looked like a modern paperback rather the old ones that covered the wall. He swung his glass emptying his drink. He went to Wei Ying and thrust the book in his face.

"Read."

"Excuse me?"

"Read. I'm going to get another drink."

Wei Ying watched the obvious change to the man's demeanour. He wondered what happens if Lan Wangji drank more than one drink. He opened the book but when to the back of the book where a gist was written.

The book spoke of a monk who lived his life in solitary. He lived away from the worldly pleasures, secluded in a cottage in the woods high up in the mountains. He meets a woman who happened to be a traveller. She takes shelter in the cottage during a snowstorm and lives with the monk a few weeks until the snowstorm subsides. The monk falls in love and chooses to give up everything he has ever known to be with her... What happens next was not written. One must read the story to know.

"That is a very intriguing story Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan?"

He saw Lan Wangji, drop unceremoniously on the couch present. He eyes looked a little glassy and unfocused. Wei Ying smiled at the man and went to sit beside him.

"So... what happens to the monk?"

"You must read to know."

"In that case... may I borrow the book?"

"Of course."

"And your point of giving met this book was?"

"I wrote it." He said it simple without any fanfare.

"Excuse me!!?"

"I wrote it."

"Yeah, I heard it! I'm not deaf. You're a writer?"

"Yes."

"That's fascinating... What do you write about?"

"Philosophy and history. Sometimes mix them with fictional stories."

"Oh I see... so what's your favourite book?" Asking this Wei Ying got up to look through the other books. He walked until he landed on a section named as Shakespeare. He browsed through and took out a book. He could feel Lan Zhan stand behind him. He turned around to face him.

"Shakespeare fan I see. You have a whole section!" He smiled a charming smile that made his eyes shine. Lan Wangji took a minute to register the statement.

"Yes..." He took a look at the book Wei Ying was holding and quoted, "Self-love, my liege..."

" is not so vile a sin, as self-neglecting." - King Henry V. Yes I know." He looked up Lan Zhan and smiled. 

He looked at that smile for a whole minute without saying anything. He grabbed Wei Ying's face and kissed him. Hard. 

\------------------------------To be continued.................................


	9. The night

* * *

9.The Night

* * *

Wei Ying hesitated before dropping the book and grabbing the other man's jacket. He pulled and made Lan Wangji fall onto him. Wei Ying's head hit the books behind because of the force but neither of them stopped.

Lan Wangji snaked one arm around Wei Ying's waist and tightened his hold. Neither stopped for air. Alcohol was cruising through both their systems and neither stopped to think.

Time became short and the air became precious. Lan Zhan pulled away to breathe, only to be pulled back into another searing kiss.

Lan Wangji had kissed people before. He was not an inexperienced man. 

But... when he kissed Wei Ying. Something fell into place. Something clicked in his brain filled with rules. And he was tempted to break every one of them only to keep Wei Ying right there. 

With each passing second, the night grew colder and the hearts grew warmer. Clothes were shed and no words were spoken. Who was breathing in whose air, no one knew. No-one stopped to think. 

His skin was soft but his palms were harsh. 

His dark hair fell on the sheets like gossamer silk and flowed down the side of the bed. The room was unlit but the moonlight from the window accentuated the form in the room. He threaded his finger in his mane and pulled. The form arched giving into pleasure. 

They danced to the age-old dance of passion... The wind swept through the room ruffling the sheets. And when he opened those brown ethereal eyes to look into your soul, how could one not fall?

How could one believe that this creature in his arms was real? How could one believe that heaven did not exist? That magic was non-existent? When the air was filled with it.... How could you not breathe it and be lost in it?

Kisses were lost in the night and pleasure and pain became one. He closed his eyes and embraced the body above closely. They rose and began at the same time. And fell at the same time. If they could write music at that moment.... It would put the heavens to shame.

It would sing of carnal pleasure... of intimacy and magic and moonlight and ecstasy and warmth.... and him. 

His skin burned in fever. There was suffering behind his moans. Silence behind his breath and fire beneath his eyes.

Lan Zhen knew at that very moment that he would never be able to let go. He would forever hold onto this feeling running through his veins. Try as he might, he knew he would fail. He would fail again and again. And again. 

This was it for him.

"Wei Ying..."

"Oh...."

Lan Wangji came undone to that voice. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He woke up and realised instantly knew what they had done last night. He swore to never go past one drink again. He turned to look for the other man. He panicked when he could not find Wei Ying in the bedroom. The other side of the bed was cold, which meant that Wei Ying left a while ago. 

He wanted to stop the pang in his heart but he couldn't. He put his head into his palms and moaned.

"Oh god..."

"Headache?"

He snapped his head to the voice standing in the doorway. Wei Ying stood there completely dressed, leaning onto the doorway.

"Um... No."

"I took the liberty of making coffee. I hope you don't mind?"

"Of course not."

He turned to look at the clock beside him that read 4:00 am. 

"Wei Ying it's 4 am. Why are you up?"

"I cannot sleep in new places. I'm a very light sleeper. I have to leave Lan Zhan. You can go back to sleep, no worries. I will show myself out."

"No it's okay. I'm up." He put on his clothes and came out to Wei Ying pouring two steaming mugs of coffee. 

"I have to leave soon Lan Zhan. Better go back to sleep."

Lan Wangji looked at him trying to gauge his reaction to last night. "Wei Ying... Do you regret last night?" He asked slowly with well-measured words.

"What?" The other man looked alarmed for a minute. "Of course not!"

"Then what's wrong?"

The other man chuckled before saying, "I have a class to teach and I haven't prepared anything. I will have you know, that propulsion systems of turbojets are no easy thing to teach. I have to go prepare unless I want to look like a bumbling monkey to my students. I did not expect you to kiss me and keep me here all night."

Lan Zhan heaved a mental sigh.

"Oh. Okay. Allow me to drop you."

"Nonsense! It's 4 am! I will get a taxi."

"I wake up at 5.30 am every morning. Do not worry. I insist."

"Are you serious? Every morning?" 

He gaped at Lan Zhan. 

Lan Zhan mentally restrained himself before he did something else, like laugh. "Every morning Wei Ying."

"Hahaha... After last night, nothing could surprise me."

"What does that mean??" 

"Oh haha! Lan Zhan! Don't look so offended. You were totally different person in bed. Who would've known?"

He had nothing to say to that statement and kept his mouth shut. His ears were burning red as he recalled last night's events. He gently cleared his throat before shipping his coffee.

"Good?"

"Excuse me?!" He looked up with wide eyes.

"Wow, get our mind out of the gutter Lan Zhan. I mean the coffee." He grinned at him. His hair was in a disarray and his mouth was well-kissed and red. His shirt was crumpled and looked slept it. He looked heartbreakingly beautiful in the dawn light.

"... You are beautiful..."

Wei Ying looked at Lan Zhan frozen on the spot. It was his turn to blush now.

"Um....Thank you."

"My pleasure."

"Pun intended?"

He shook his head and gave a tiny smile. It escaped without permission and he was unable to stop it. It was barely there but Wei Ying caught it.

"Oh dear lord!! Where is a camera when you need one? You smiled!"

"No." he quickly schooled his features and gave Wei Ying one of his famous sterns. 

"Hey! Yes you did!"

"No Wei Ying. The light is playing tricks on you." Wei Ying stared at him sceptically through lidded eyes. He sipped his coffee looking at him the entire time. How could you not kiss this man?

"Oh shoot! Look at the time. Its almost 4.30. Shall we leave Lan Zhan?"

Lan Zhan nodded before leaving inside to find his jacket and shoes. He had no idea where he threw them last night. Wei Ying finished his cup and put on his jacket. He stood up and fixed his hair as much as he could before checking his phone. He put on his shoes and waited for Lan Zhan to get his jacket.

They went downstairs and Wei Ying strapped himself in. He connected the sound system to his phone.

Lan Zhan braced himself this time for the music that was going to rip his ear in half. Yet he was willing to listen to that crap if it kept Wei Ying in his car for a bit longer. But the melody that came out was different.

"Debussy?"

"He's my favourite of all classical musicians. Hey! Don't look at me like that I'm a man of culture! And you are a man with no taste. I'm taking you with me to a Metallica concert someday."

"Um... I..." He really didn't want to go.

Wei Ying threw his head back and laughed at Lan Zhan's reaction. "Oh, your face!"

"No need for pointing now." He laughed even harder. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------

_*two rings*_

"Hello?"

"Brother? Good to hear from you! The auction was a success I heard! I'm sorry I could not be there."

"There is something wrong. Come to my office."

"It's 4 am."

"Just get here before I lose it!"

"Brother calm down! What is this about?"

"There are some gaps in the calculations and we need to talk."

The man on the line paused before asking, "Gaps?.... You mean there is money missing?"

\------------------------------To be continued.....................................................


	10. The visit

* * *

10.The Visit

* * *

The man that entered the room was one of the most beautiful and equally charming creatures that anyone could've ever met. He walked across and waited for the other man to speak up. 

"So?"

He threw a file on top of the coffee table present in the room. The papers scattered and they all looked like balance sheets and transaction papers. He picked one up to go through them. He looked through the charity funds that got donated last year. He ruffled through the papers and found a tax receipt from the cancer research institute that was part of the donations last year.

"Holy F..."

"Exactly! What the hell is going on !!" He slammed his fists on the table and stared directly at the man sitting there.

"Brother calm down." He put his arms up and tried to pacify the bigger man. He stood up and tried to keep a calm expression on his face. The other man was fuming there was a storm brewing behind those intense eyes. The man's temper was infamous and Jin Guangyao did not need a taste of that now. 

"How did you find this all of a sudden now??"

"I was going through the finances and there were a few gaps in the tax declarations for last year. So I got the documents recreated and got new copies of all the receipts. Guess what I found!?!"

"Brother I'm sure there is an explanation for this. Does Lan Xichen know?"

"No. I will not bother him unless I have proof of malpractice. He has enough crap going through in his life, he does not need more over his head."

"Good. Let's not tell him until we know what's happening for sure."

"You better find me an explanation Jin Guangyao. Your company and your father were the ones that managed this auction last year. And you better make it fast."

"I will do my best brother. I'm taking the file with me and will return it to you once I have read through them and with copies. Just in case..."

"You do that." The voice was stern but his look was piercing. He held the stare until the door was closed.

Being in business and having a family that was related to politics; he had met a lot of scary men in his life. Or at least men that portrayed themselves as scary. None of them had an effect on him as much as this man did. He was large by many standards. Big-boned and with a hulking height of over 6'2 foot. It was not just the size..... there was more to the man that made him stop before letting out words that could get him into trouble. 

The eyes were deep-set and intensely dark. Shoulders that made him appear as menacing as he sounded. And when he spoke... his voice resonated in the whole room. When he spoke, men sometimes wet themselves. He knows because he has witnessed it happen once to a guy that was involved in corporate espionage. 

It was not a pretty sight.

He never stuttered. Never searched for words in a conversation. Kept them crisp and to the point. He had seen people sing like canaries when questioned by him. Growing up with him had proved advantageous as he knew how to handle the man to an extent.

To an extent. 

When he truly does go off the rails... Jin Guangyao knows that the man would be unstoppable. Sometimes it bodes well for you to not taunt brute strength. 

\---------------------------------------------------------

The doorbell rang thrice and he was already annoyed. He does not like people who ring more than once. That person is either a psychopath or a paramedic. He walked there and yanked the door opened. 

_'Now let's see which one it is.'_

"Hi!" Wei Ying stood there with an enormous grin on his face. 

_'Okay. judgement reserved.'_

"Wei Ying?"

"Can I come in?"

"Sure! I mean, Of course." He didn't want to sound too enthusiastic. Which he was.

"What are you doing he...."

The kiss that came his way almost knocked him off his feet. Wei Ying threaded his fingers through the other man's hair and held on to it like a lifeline. Lan Zhan was thrown off balance and landed on his butt in the carpet. He was in bliss being pressed up against this beautiful man. Yet, he pulled away long enough to speak.

"Wei Ying??"

"Why? You got other lovers?" 

Lan Zhan's eyes widened slightly before he started talking to Wei Ying. "That's not what I meant Wei Ying. What brings you here?"

"I actually came to borrow your book. I left it here the other night and I was in the mood for a really good book. So. Can I ?"

Lan Zhan gently lifted them both of the floor before asking Wei Ying to follow him. He stepped inside the reading room and went to the exact same spot that he had found the book in. He effortlessly pulled the specific book out and held it out to Wei Ying. 

"You put the book back in the exact same spot... How do you even remember the exact spot each book is kept in?"

"I am.. meticulous." He finished.

"Oh that you are sweetheart." The statement was loaded with innuendos. Wei Ying gave a salacious wink to the flustered man before putting the book in his backpack. He then proceeded to walk out to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee like he owned the place. If it were anyone else, Lan Wangji would've kicked them out. But he felt a sense of comfort knowing that Wei Ying felt at home in his apartment and navigated around it like his own. He stood there looking at the spirited man humming a tune in his kitchen.

Lan Wangji cleared his throat lightly. "Wei Ying... Why are you here? You are not here just for a book."

The man in question placed the two mugs of coffee on the countertop and sat at the bar and gestured to the other man to do the same. 

"First of all, that was rude. Second of all, after the other night, you never called me or even texted me. You completely disappeared without a word and I was worried. Are you all right?"

Lan Zhan contemplated that question silently all the while reminiscing about his week. 

He had -as people call it- experienced the 5 stages of grief. Lan Wangji had gone a little bit extra and had experienced 6. You should be a phenomenal human being to experience 6.

1\. Happiness : On cloud nine. He was glowing the entire day from the night spent with Wei Ying. His skin looked supple and he had a strong urge to smile through the day. He had taken a walk and had brought a bunch of big red carnations. He never spent money on frivolous things for aesthetic purposes. Especially bright coloured ones. He was taught to be simple and followed the rule. With the flowers in hand, he had walked with newfound happiness.

2\. Denial : He woke up the next day and had almost believed that that night with Wei Ying never happened. As a writer, he had a vivid imagination and this was all in his head! His brain spent hours telling him that Wei Ying did not like him and it was all an alcohol-induced hallucination.

3\. Anger : He had thrown the flowers in the trash and decided to never talk to Wei Ying again. 

4\. Bargaining : He had taken the flowers out of the trash and had felt sorry about it. Wei Ying had tried reaching out. He tried texting Wei Ying and explaining that he was going crazy and could not stop thinking about him. But he couldn't. He bargained with himself - _If I tell him now then I can move on._ His brain interjected - _Go ahead. He might decide to never talk to you again._

5\. Depression : The flowers had wilted and he spent the majority of his day meditating. And forlornly looking at his cactus. Meditating again. Taking a long bath. Looking at his cactus again. Slow... sad... classical music until he fell asleep.

6\. Acceptance : Wei Ying would never be his. He had made the man cheat on his GF. He had broken a rule to never get involved with someone who belongs with someone else. He should move on... concentrate on his writing. 

After a week of going through a myriad of emotions; the man of his affections was in front of him and asking him for an explanation.

All he could say was, "I'm all right Wei Ying."

\----------------------------To be continued......................................

Author's note: To my amazing readers,

I hope you all are staying safe and handling it well. I'm sorry if I have not responded to any of your comments. Sometimes they get lost among the other notifications and comments. Sorry! 

Stay safe and stay healthy.


	11. The Call

* * *

11.The Call

* * *

It was one of the most beautiful days of the entire month. It was sunny and the skies were a crisp, clear blue. The kind of skies that would make you walk around in summer shorts and have picnics. It would be a scene right out of a romance movie in Paris. But Lan Wangji, on the other hand, wanted to close the curtains and rest. Years of self-discipline prevented him from doing that.

Now he sat in front of Wei Ying trying to explain the trainwreck that last week was. 

_'One might even say he was being dramatic.'_

He chose to ignore his inner voice.

"Wei Ying?"

The other man looked at him with scrunched up eyes and tried to gauge his reaction. If the eyebrows were any indication, Wei Ying was mad. It would do good to Lan Wangji to tread lightly. 

"You avoid someone that you slept with for a week with absolutely no explanation! Did you not stop to think that that is extremely rude behaviour? We were intimate Lan Zhan and you totally ghosted me! It's insulting."

"Wei Ying No. You don't understand..."

"Can I please finish?"

"...Yes."

"Look, I did not tell you that was in love with you, because I'm not. So I don't want you to freak out."

Lan Wangji's heart stuttered and came to a stop. There was a lonesome pause after that statement and he wanted this conversation to be over as soon as possible. He tried to breathe as even as possible and started counting to 5, just to calm his breathing. His brain skipped over all the thoughts that he was waiting to tell Wei Ying. He sat silently waiting for Wei Ying to continue.

"It was fun with you and I enjoy spending time with you as friends. There is nothing for you to worry about! I'm not going to cling to you and ask you for a ring.! Believe it or not, that is not what I want anyway... So please calm down and stop avoiding me. Whatever happened, happened."

Lan Wangji slowly started speaking, "Do you regret...regret it?"

His entire world stopped.   
Just for a minute.   
To hear the response.

"Of course not! We were drunk but it was an amazing evening. I regret nothing. But I would like you to know that I value you as a friend. So let's not do this whole, dramatic, avoiding each other thing. Please?"

The pregnant silence that followed was loaded with so many unsaid things. Anger. disappointment. sadness. acceptance. And the insane desire to yell at the other man's face to stop talking!  
Wei Ying sat there breathing hard once he finished his rant and looked at Lan Wangji with wide eyes. 

The image of the man sent shards of glass into Lan Zhan's heart but he understood. He understood that Wei Ying is not obligated to feel the way he feels. How could he ask another human being to feel the same way he does? 

Wouldn't the world be so easy if everyone we loved could love us back?

But the world was cruel and real and tough.

Wei Ying was a free soul in so many ways. If the scars on his body were any indication of this fact. They were testaments to the way Wei Ying lived his life. The way he wore red and walked tall and proud. He did not stop to think who may approve and who may not. He went where his heart called. He was not a man you can tie down with promises of love and dinners and date nights. He was unique.... Which was why Lan Zhan was breaking...

He chipped a part of himself to make Wei Ying whole. He said a simple few words to seal the deal.

"Of course we're friends." If one paid attention, it almost sounded like resignation. 

"Thank you!" The rattled look in Wei Ying's eyes finally left him and he heaved a sigh of relief. He finally gave Lan Zhan that signature grin of his before walking around the counter. 

"I know I'm awesome! Who can resist me?!" He laughed before swooping Lan Zhan in a big bear hug. The other man wound his arms around him and closed his eyes. 

If all he can do is bask in the warmth of Wei Ying's friendship, then that is what he will do.

\---------------------------------------

_***unknown calling***_

*Who is this?* He had a clear, ringing voice.

*Listen. And listen carefully. I'm going to send you a transaction code which I want you to track.*

*When do you need it?*

*I'm giving you 48 hours to get me everything you can find on this. You will be compensated as usual. Get the job done in 24 hours and I will double it."

"You gotta be kidding me!."

The line went dead before he could ask anything else.

"Bloddy ba*****ds! The whole lot of them."

The door opened to reveal a woman who walked in, in ripped jeans and heels so high that her ankles could snap any day. She walked in and sat on the armrest. She dropped her weight and her ample bosom onto his shoulder and gave him a salacious look. 

"Trouble darling?"

"With these ass****s? always! How the hell am I supposed to do this in 48 hours? It would take weeks to track the activity if the traces had not been erased."

"Aww.... How about I make you forget it?" She slowly rubbed his arms trying to convince him.

He abruptly got off the woman and pushed her away. "Oh you pick your timings, don't you?! Did you not hear me ?! I SAID 48 HOURS!!!" He yelled until everyone outside the door could hear him clearly.

"I need that money. Go do something useful." Saying that he turned away and dialled someone's number from memory and missed the thunderous look she gave him before turning away. 

She slammed the door before stepping outside and tried to control her breathing. she walked through the building with people looking at her and snickering at her. Keeping one's composure is not a skill that she managed to master. Not that she ever needed to, the world was handed to her in a silver platter. 

Then she got old and her parents passed away. Little miss spoilt kid had decided to survive off of rich young/old men. Which is how she got involved with some grade-A jerks in the market. She always failed to realise the consequences though.

After leaving the premises and she yelled at her driver to take her to her destination. The car door took the brunt of her anger as she slammed it with unnecessary force.

"Son of a b****h! Who does he think he is!!! If only he wasn't rich I would've dropped his ass and kicked him to the curb. Just you wait...."

"Just you wait..."

\------------------------------------To be continued..................


	12. The surprise

* * *

12.The Surprise

* * *

_'People really need to stop knocking on the door.'_

He heard two more knocks before he lost his calm and walked out of the study room. Today was one of those days for him... One of those days when you just wake up inspired. You open your eyes to the fresh rays of the dawn and you know that it will be a good day. 

As a writer, he had always shut himself away from the world when he needed to work. Once he had started writing, he had realised the joys of working alone. For him, the experience was close to meditation. It was almost spiritual when the words flowed on paper. He had started it with pen and paper as a child. Now he used a laptop instead. 

Originally it had been a typewriter while in university and his brother had pushed him to buy a laptop. Calling him a grandpa had definitely helped. And he had realised that there are perks to technology. Notably, research and designing. His brother would disown him if he knew that the device collected dust on most days. 

Being technologically ignorant had never really bothered him. Ignorant was mildly putting it. 

So, when someone interrupted him writing, it got on his nerves. It rattled his mood in a way that he cannot explain. He walked over to the door and almost yanked it off its hinges. 

"Can I help you?" His mouth clamped shut as soon as he saw the person on the other side of the room. She still had the same smile and looked radiant. He still remembered their first encounter, she was memorable after all. 

"I hope it's not a bad time?" The smile turned sheepish and he could tell she was genuinely feeling bad about disturbing him. 

"um.. no. Please come in." He moved aside to give her room to step inside. 

"I apologise! Wei Ying visited me on Wednesday night and forgot his laptop at my place. He was going to collect it tonight, unfortunately, he just remembered that he had his presentation and the presentation notes in the laptop. I would go myself, but I really cannot. I have to be somewhere as well."

Lan Wangji zoned in on the _'Wei Ying visited me on Wednesday night.'_ It started running on his mind on a loop and he almost didn't catch the rest. 

"...Its in 20 minutes and I have to run. I remember..."

_'The man that he is crazy about, went to visit his girlfriend. And she is here at his doorstep now. Was this some sick colossal joke?'_

"...that you lived here..."

 _'He promised himself that he would never date men who were taken. He vowed to never break that promise. Then this man storms into his life like a hurricane and everything else went with the wind.'_ He reminded himself to breathe.

"...So, could you please give this to him? I have written down the address of the university in this paper. Please do this for me? His class starts in an hour. Thank you so much!!"

"Yes... sure..."

"He was right! you really are a saviour. Thank you Lan Wangji." Saying that she was gone. There were barely any traces left. He looked at the heavy laptop in his arms and contemplated not going. But as a person who loves his work, he knew that this would be morally wrong. He looked up at the ceiling for a long moment as if it held all the answers to his questions.

\-------------------------------------

The noise of skateboards and acapella groups practising was all the more familiar to him. It almost took him back to his university days. He hadn't changed much for then. He was a 100-year-old soul in a 20-year-old body back then as well. 

He followed the signs and finally found block A1.

*Department of Engineering*

It was a rustic old building that looked like it was built around the 18th CE. There was a thick overgrowth of moss and old vines that crept over one side of the building, all the way to the roof. This would definitely cause expensive repairs to the roof but the university seems to have chosen to keep it for aesthetic purposes. He stepped inside and missed running into a bunch of rugby players on the way.

He walked over and crossed the engine lab before turning left to a staircase. The first floor seemed to hold classrooms and he walked around looking for Wei Ying until he finally heard his voice. He walked towards the voice and lifted his arms to knock at the door but changed his mind. His uncle would disapprove if he found out that Lan Wangji was interrupting classes. He could almost hear the old man yell.

From what he could understand it was an introduction to aerodynamics to the freshmen. Although he couldn't hear everything, he looked at the chalkboard to see what Wei Ying was writing. He describing Newton's law's of motion corresponding to an aeroplane.

He stood there waiting for the class to end. He could see Wei Ying making a wild gesture to imitate a wing movement. He had his hair in a ponytail and with every wild head movement, his hair got in his face. He kept going while trying to blow the hair out of his face... before giving up and pushing them all behind his ears. 

Lan Wangji could see the face more clearly now. He could see the smile that was etched on his face and refused to leave. 

Vehement passion is something people get lost in. He could see that in Wei Ying now. He had seen passion when they had made love. This spark in his eyes was completely new though. He had seen Wei Ying excited, angry even horny but not like this. Never like this.

He was so lost in teaching and enjoying it at the same time, that he forgot about a guy who was standing at the door for 20 minutes. The amusing bit about this whole scene was that none of his students had noticed either. They were sitting there, enraptured by Wei Ying. They were looking at him like he was fairy godmother and made rainbows out of thin air. 

He was very tempted to laugh but he had been standing there for 20 minutes staring at the professor. So he was pretty sure that he cannot be the one to talk. 

"So in conclusion, Newton was a literal badass! See you guys next week!" Following that, he heard a holler of laughter from the students. 

Once the room was cleared out he knocked lightly on the door to get Wei Ying's attention. The man in question snapped his head towards the noise almost too quickly. He saw the widened eyes and heavy breathing.

"I apologise, I did not mean to scare you."

"Oh that you did." He let the air out of his lungs before flashing a smile to Lan Wangji. "So! To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Lan Wangji walked up to the desk and gently placed the laptop. "Miss Jiang Yanli stopped by at my place and asked me to drop this off."

"She was there??! Darn it, this is why I don't tell her anything! I'm so sorry Lan Zhan! I cannot believe she dumped this on you. She almost never does this. I'm going to definitely talk to her about this."

"Wei Ying, it's all right. Your girlfriend was just worried."

"I mean sure... wait! What??!!" His jaw dropped and stayed on the floor. He stood there looking at Lan Wangji with a look that said _'what. the. f **k.'_

The look on his face was pure mortification. "Excuse me!? Care to explain that one to me?"

"Pardon me?"

"Who is my girlfriend? when? what...Lan Zhan!"

"What?" Lan Wangji looked as confused as the man in front of him. They stood there staring at each other with wide eyes, neither knowing what the other meant.

"......Lan Zhan...?"

"She... is not...Ahem.. your girlfriend?"

\------------------------To be continued............................

Author's notes:

The picture is actually from Virginia Tech. I couldn't find a better picture to explain what I meant :p


	13. The promise

* * *

13.The Promise

* * *

Have you ever looked at paintings? They always feel as if they are staring at you. No matter where you move inside the room, the eyes always follow you. It causes discomfort for most people. A very popular example would be the Mona Lisa. 

For Lan Wangji, It was Wei Ying's eyes.

"Lan Zhan, who is my girlfriend?" He enunciated his words as if speaking to a child.

"Jiang... Yanli?" He saw Wei Ying clutch his forehead at that answer and realised it was wrong.

"She is my sister."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Oh you definitely should! She is my sister you idiot!"

"Oh."

"That's right oh! Why would you even come to such a conclusion? Even after I slept with you?"

 _'Oh shit'_

Lan Wangji knew that the realization will hit the man in a few seconds. Until then he deemed it smart to shut his mouth tight. He was waiting for the explosion... and then it happened. 

"WHAT?!" Wei Ying's eyes almost popped out of his head. It was a good thing that they were in an empty classroom. "You thought I cheated on my girlfriend?! How could you think that? How low do you think I will stoop to?" 

He made a fist with his left hand and was ready to almost punch the living daylights out of Lan Wangji. 

"You better use your right hand. You don't want to break your left again."

He put the fist down and said, "You!!!! You are impossible. Thank you for the laptop. You can leave now. I will call you when I have calmed down." He barely glanced at the guilt-ridden man in the room, before collecting his things and leaving the room. 

_'Well... that was unexpected.'_

It seemed that the universe hated him and loved him at the same time. It was a love-hate relationship.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

The glass broke into a thousand little pieces and shattered like the mind of a hysteric. The shattered pieces fell near the window still capturing the sharp afternoon sun. They scattered the light around causing a myriad of colours to be reflected in the opulent room. 

The room itself was decorated in whites and gold with fine french furniture. It looked fit for a king and his over obnoxious wife. Everything about that room screamed wealth. One always feels one of the three emotions while stepping into the room. Humbled or scared or greedy.

"So, you were saying?"

The man in front was sweating through his eyebrows and was taut with tension like a well-strung bow. He sat stiff and straight in his chair. He looked like a caged animal ready to bolt. If he was honest with himself, he knew that man was caged in many ways. 

Freedom is an illusion given most of us and none of us even recognise it. 

"The... deal... that you offered for the tender is quite low. But! But... I'm sure that we can work around it Mr.Jin. Let me talk to my boss and get back to you!"

The man of the hour lifted his legs to place it on the chair and sank into his plush chair. "See to it."

"Yess.... sir."

"Jin Guangyao will go with you. You know, just to make sure that you don't make any mistakes. That shouldn't say that I don't trust you! Eh Mr.Nabo?" He smiled a toothy smile at the man in front and took a swing of his expensive vodka. "Boy!"

"Father?"

"Do as instructed. You leave tomorrow and get this deal done in a week. am I understood?"

"Yes, father." He formed a fist at his side and stood still waiting for his father to speak.

"Get out. Both. I got matters to attend to."

Jin Guangyao knew what matters to attend precisely meant. It usually involved some beautiful woman who he had set his sights on. If she was unwilling, he spent days chasing her and scaring her wits off. Most women threw themselves at him as soon as he mentioned how rich he was. But no... he wanted more. Always more. 

it was usually an innocent waitress that fell prey to his unwanted advances. Who was usually half his age. 

It was as pathetic as it was disgusting. But he knew better than to talk back to his father. He escorted the man out and to the guest bedroom that he occupied for the night. His father was not going to let him out of his sight until the deal was made. 

"Stay in and stay quiet. If you know what's good for you." He saw the man nod. Message received. He nodded to the two guards outside and walked back as soon as he could.

_*Hello*_

_*Jane, arrange the private jet. A week's trip to Milan. And make sure the pilot is someone new and make sure he signs a NDA. Get it done and call me asap.*_

_*By when should it be ready?*_

_*We leave tomorrow morning at 7 am, Sharp.*_

_*Yes sir.*_

He hung up before she could say anything more. He walked down to his driver and instructed him to take him back to his villa. He reached under his car seat and took out a burner phone and dialled the number. He waited for 2 rings before someone picked up. 

*I said 48 hours. 48. It's past 40 hours now. Haven't you realised by now what happens if you disobey me?*

His tone was sharp and biting. He already had so much to deal with, if this news were to reach that old man's ears, everything would go to hell. This useless piece of filth was supposed to get things done and he was grating on his already rattled nerves.

_*I was about to call you!*_

_*Bullshit!*_

_*No! I traced the number back to a bank in Switzerland. The transaction did happen last year in the month of August. But there are absolutely no details on who transferred it.*_

_*Check again. Check and make sure that it is my father. I know it is him.*_

_*Yes. I would really need a few more days! Try to understand, please!! Tracking a swiss bank's transaction isn't something that is easily done. Not even the world's best hacker can do that man! Cmon!*_

_*24 hours. take a day more and that's all you get.*_

_*What the! You gotta be kidding!!*_

_*24. Make it happen."_

_*Alright Alright! I'm gonna try. I will call you when I find it.*_

_*I will call you. 24.*_

Shit. Shit. Shit. His father was making moves without him knowing. There were two problems with that. Two huge ones:

1\. The man was going to cut him off. After the death of the old man, the entire empire should be his! If he was making moves without including Jin Guangyao that could only mean he doesn't trust him anymore. This was bad.

2\. Nie Minghue.   
If he were to realise that this entire mess was his father's, he is as screwed as it gets. He would lose his trust as well his other brother's. It bodes him well to keep friends in high places. He was NOT going to go back to the backwater they fished him out of. He promised himself that and he was going to do everything to make sure his current plan doesn't go awry.

"Sir?"

"Yeah?"

"We're here."

"Good. You can leave and pick me up tomorrow at 7 am. Don't be late wade."

"Yes sir."

He stepped out and looked at his house. It was just modern enough and overly grand. It was designed by some of the best architects in the industry. He had personally approved the design himself. The house had more trapdoors than prisons and castles. 

He wasn't willing to give it up.

He won't.

He will do everything in his power to make sure it doesn't happen.

Everything.

Anything.

\-------------------------------To be continued....................

Authors' notes:

Tender: The term 'tender' means an invitation to trade under the terms on offer. Very similar to contracts. 

NDA: Non-disclosure agreement. An agreement signed not to reveal certain information, it is very commonly done in corporates.


	14. The Invite

* * *

14.The Invite

* * *

"You are in a good mood today."

"No." 

"Brother. I am no fool."

"When are you going back?"

"Do not change the topic please."

"Am not."

"Yes, you are."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Brother. I have known you for decades! Your facade does not fool me."

He finally looked up from his computer to his brother sitting with a big smile on his face and a cup of tea. The eyes twinkled as to say -I know you're hiding something. He stared at the man behind the table unwaveringly before he a slight twitch in his eyes. 

Just a bit more...

Almost there...

"Wei Ying is single."

"Mazel tov!!!" 

His brother came over to his side and engulfed him in a warm hug and pulled away after ruffling his well-combed hair. He chuckled a bit before sitting back in his chair. He could almost see stars around his brother from the sense of accomplishment. The man was bloody proud of himself. 

"Brother, I'm working."

"I'm not disturbing you at all."

"You're smiling."

He smiled wider before responding. "That isn't disturbing you."

"Brother... Nevermind."

"So all is well that ends well?"

Lan Wangji stayed silent at that question. There were so many unsaid things between him and Wei Ying. Mostly on his part and he doubted that he would ever divulge that much information to his brother. Just because the man of his interests was available did not mean that he wanted to pursue anything. He made his position very clear in not wanting anything from Lan Wangji. 

"Brother?" 

"Please leave. I'm behind by 2 chapters."

"Okay. Take care brother." 

He washed his cup before placing it at its rightful place. Lans were never messy. His uncle would have their heads if he ever found out. He looked once more at his younger brother before leaving him be. He gently closed the door before stepping out into the corridor and into the elevator.

He never considered his brother little. Younger? sure. But never little. He grew up too quicky too soon.

He sometimes wished his brother got to be a child more. But that was a long time ago and he cannot turn back time. It is what it is. 

His phone rang in time with the chime of the elevator. 

_*Brother! How goes your day?*_

_*Wonderful! To what do I owe this pleasure?*_

_*Oh I was in town and was wondering how you were. Shall we catch up over a drink?*_

_*I don't see why not. Sure! I will see you Bellisimo's at 8?*_

_*Fantastic! See you then.*_

It has been a while since he had spoken to Jin Guangyao, he was looking forward to it. He had tried contacting and calling Nie Minghue out. The man was never the one to socialise and he had refused the offer. It would be nice to at least meet his other friend.

\----------------------------------------------

_*Dinner. I will cook. Be at my place at 8.*_

Staring at the screen had only given him a sure headache instead of giving him answers. He had a meeting with his editor at 7.30 pm As a man who had always prided himself on his sense of duty, he was inclined to refuse Wei Ying. He feared that that would be just causing more misunderstandings between them. 

That man drove him up a wall.

He gave up in defeat and sent a solemn message to his editor cancelling their meeting but rescheduling it to the next day. The very next minute his phone rang.

*Yes?*

*Are you okay!!* She sounded very alarmed like a deer caught in the headlights.

*Mera calm down. What happened?*

*Are you okay? Should I call the police or the ambulance? Are you hurt?*

*Why would I be?*

*I have worked with you for over a decade and this is the first time you have ever cancelled on me. Lan Wangji what is the emergency??*

*Mera. There is no emergency. Something came up and I must cancel.*

*Are you serious???*

*Yes... I apologise.* There was a long pause on the other end of the line and he wondered if she had hung up. He checked and she was still on the line. 

*Uh... Um... Sure sure you take your time Lan Wangji. No issues at all, I will see you tomorrow.*

The line went dead. He solemnly stood there wondering why people get surprised when he tells them he cannot be somewhere or do something..... He was not that much of a workaholic. He wasn't. Was he?

It took him a 30-minute drive to get to Wei Ying's place. He stepped out of the car and adjusted his jacket. He looked at the dark building with looming thoughts in his head. 

He had practised apologising in the car. 

He stopped walking and realised that since he had come to become Wei Ying's acquaintance he had been apologising a lot. Lan Wangji almost never apologises. The historical occurrence had probably happened once or twice in his entire life when he was a child. The man grew up with the discipline of a priest and the lifestyle of a monk, with a family that was no different. 

A few months into knowing Wei Ying and he had already apologised for more than he had in his entire lifetime.

\---------------------Fast forward an hour ago---------------------

The man in the mirror stared back at him. He was clad in nothing but a towel and was as beautiful as a marble statue. The chiselled face stared back at him without an ounce of compassion. The long column of the neck followed to his perfectly balanced shoulders. Which then extended to the thick muscles of his arm and torso. 

Smooth and ridged abdomen to strong legs and grounded feet.

His skin was on the paler side with no spots or blemishes of any kind. When he was a mere university student he had his female peers come up to him asking for his skincare. It was more awkward than funny for him. He naturally had perfect skin and never questioned it. He assumed he inherited from either of his parents. 

A thick dark mane of hair. Straight and unbent like steel fibres. 

The one thing that everyone commented about had always been his eyes. It was a very unusual shade of amber, something that he himself had never seen in another human being. They shone in different shades under natural light and artificial light. 

He had been approached to be a model by various artists and brands alike. He hated being observed and being in the limelight since he was a child and had turned all of them down. It had reminded him of all his family and friends looking at him with cold and unnerving eyes. Like a lab rat under observation. His brother had always been his shield during those times. But not even Lan Xichen could be around him all the time. 

Once he started thinking about his family history it became hard to stop. 

Walking over to the wardrobe he picked up a light beige coloured shirt and a mild blue one. He held them over for comparison. Disappointed with either he picked another one of a darker shade of blue. He wore the shirt and paired it up with black trousers and gave himself a thorough look. 

Nope.

He decided to go old school and replaced the shirt for a white one. Buttoning up his cuffs he finally finished the look with a dark blue blazer. Well polished brown leather shoes and a neat silver watch. 

He stopped to think and wondered when was the last time that he did this. Criticize himself over the mirror and act as a nervous teenager on the first date. 

He wondered what he would've done if he had met Wei Ying as a teenager. 

He would've probably had a minor seizure. 

His brother would laugh an entire day if he found out.

\------------------------To be continued..................................


	15. The Taste

* * *

15.The Taste

* * *

\----------------Back to present time------------------

He knocked and waited. 

The door opened to Wei Ying in an apron with pink cherry blossoms and frills all over it. In his head he was laughing but outside he was as calm as still water. Wei Ying's hair was in a loose ponytail with whiffs of hairs sticking out from it. 

"Come on in! And not a word about the apron it's my sisters."

He stepped in, to the entire apartment smelling like roasted potatoes. He unconsciously started salivating over that smell. It also smelled like something else... Something earthy and nutty. He raked his brain for references but he came up with nothing. He knew at the back of his head what that smell was but for the love of it, he could not put a name to it. 

"It is so hard to cook for vegetarians. I mean what are even the options other than potatoes?"

"Eggplants, mushrooms, carrots, artichokes, peas, broccoli, asparagus, corn, pumpkin, radish...."

"All right...."

"Beets, cauliflower...."

"I said I got it!" He put up both his arms signifying peace. "Jeez, you and your -thou art shall know better- self. We get it genius. The point is, vegetables are not much fun."

"Now?"

"I mean roast pork... imagine the crispy baked skin with juicy meat seasoned with herbs... aahhh... Its heaven is what it is."

"It's actually gluttony."

Wei Ying raised an eyebrow to give him a condescending look. He then walked over to the kitchen to look into the food. He taste-tested it with a spoon and gave a satisfactory mmm... Lan Wangji's breath caught. 

He willed the images from their shared night to go away. He had spent the majority of his week outside because every time he went to his bedroom; all he could think about was that moonlit night and the steamy body that accompanied him. Every time he closed his eyes he could hear the moans that resonated off the walls of the bedroom. His bedroom.

It was almost a curse that he could not get rid off. 

"So, ready to eat?"

"Yes."

Wei Ying gently arranged the cutlery on the table with a steaming pot of tea. The food looked amazing if Lan Wangji was being honest with himself. 

"I can tell that you're surprised."

Lan Wangji tried to look surprised and failed miserably at that. He saw Wei Ying's eyes narrow. 

"You assumed that I couldn't cook. Just because I look like an irresponsible kid who's into metal does not mean I cannot cook. How rude. Your points are dangling at the negatives now Lan Zhan. Beware!"

"I... apologise."

The man on the other end of the table slid into the chair and poured Lan Wangji a warm cup of tea. The smell of chamomile mixed with the earthy smells of the food giving a heady scent to the entire room. It smelled like home and summer and laughter. And Lan Wangji couldn't wait to taste the food. 

He took the first bite. Wei Ying patiently waited for him to chew and swallow the food.

"So????" He asked with the excitement of a child.

"Very good." He now had a name to the smell. Chillies. 

"Yay!!"

Meanwhile, this is what went on inside his head. _'Oh god no. You cannot cook at all. I think my tongue is dying. Water!'_

'Hm.. Wei Ying I would like some water please."

"Oh yeah of course! Just a minute." 

While he went to fetch the water Lan Wangji started taking big gulping breaths through his mouth as if oxygen would help. Desperate times call for desperate measures. He prayed to any deity that would hear him right now to aid him.

Wei Ying came back with a cold glass of water and placed it on the table. 

"Don't be shy! I got more, so you can definitely take seconds."

"Of course."

_'NO!'_

\----------------------------------------------------

He thanked his iron-clad self-control and discipline that he had cultivated over time. Otherwise, he would be yelling and running around in circles like a man set on fire. He had offered to clean up but Wei Ying had refused the offer. He was busy making coffee in the kitchen while he sat in the balcony enjoying the sun. 

He could see jasmines adorn the small place. They were neatly arranged in pots and he could also see a few marigolds. Loud yet calming colours clashed with each other in perfect harmony. The smell of jasmine dominated the place reminding him of home.

"So."

"...?"

"I thought you had an apology to make? Please do not tell me that you forgot."

"No. I... Wei Ying, I apologise for assuming what I did."

Wei Ying sunk down on the bean bag that was placed there and waited for the other man to continue talking. 

"It was wrong of me to do so."

"Lan Zhan... you kissed me... That means you kissed me when you assumed that I was taken. What does that say about you?"

That statement hit the mark like a missile and Lan Wangji was rendered wordless. He locked eyes with Wei Ying and he could see that the other man was asking a serious question. This was not one of his silly questions. 

"And straight... I assume you are not."

Lan Wangji remained silent. He tried coming up with a reason for his actions but he couldn't. He had stayed awake entire nights wondering why he had behaved like a caveman. Why had he made the first move? Why did he kiss the other man when he knew nothing about him? Why had he assumed that Wei Ying would reciprocate?

"I don't know."

"Excuse me?"

"I do not know. Wei Ying."

They both chose to stay silent at that statement. And that made both wonder what the other was thinking. Wei Ying was the one that finally broke the spell of silence.

"Okay." He said in a low voice.

"Okay?"

"Okay."

"Wei Ying?..."

"Look, I understand that sometimes we do things without a solid reason behind it. I also understand that you are not one of those people. You have only ever made well thought out decisions in your life and it shows. That is why this one confuses you because this one doesn't fit your pattern. So okay! I understand and I'm not going to enquire you about it anymore."

"......"

"Lan Zhan..." He gently took the coffee mug from the other man's hands and placed it on the floor. He then lifted those soft, fair hands into his own and spoke in a clear voice.

"Lan Zhan... It's okay. I hold nothing against you. You were also drunk. By the way, you cannot hold your alcohol, at all!"

Lan Wangji shook his head gently at it and Wei Ying chuckled.

"The events don't make me respect you any less. We are still friends. No worries at all."

Lan Wangji wanted to feel disappointed at that statement. But he chose to focus on the positive aspects. He looked at their joint hands and admired the mild contrast of skin tones. Wei Ying was a bit tan compared to himself and it made a lovely picture. He wanted to capture it and frame it.

"You're are a good person."

Wei Ying looked surprised at that statement. "I... Ahem..." He started laughing...

"Look what you did! You have made me speechless! That is no easy feat Lan Zhan."

"I'm sure." 

Wei Ying threw his beautiful head up and laughed... The long lovely column of his rang from the sound of his laughter. 

"Tell me about yourself."

"Hm?"

"Um... tell me about what you like!"

"Specifically?"

"Uh... What is your favourite book?"

"King Henry by Shakespeare."

"Damn it that was such an easy guess!"

Lan Wangji was tempted to crack a smile at that quip. "Your turn."

"Mine?... The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy by Douglas Adams. I mean cmon... can you blame me?"

The other man looked lost at that question.

"You have never read The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy?! Are you kidding me? You stay right here!"

He sat there perplexed while looking at Wei Ying run around the apartment like the house was on fire. He finally walked in with a book in his hand with a colourful cover on it.

"Read it."

"Now?"

"No! Take it home and read it. Maybe then you will see why I like it." He grinned his signature grin before picking up his coffee.

He wondered if this book would give him an insight into Wei Ying's tastes.

\----------------------To be continued.............................


	16. The Brother

* * *

15.The Brother

* * *

He had been trying to reach the man for the past few days and the response had been zero! He had tried texting, calling and even email! The long, meticulously drafted email was nothing short of a university essay. He had explained that he was angry that the man had resorted to avoiding him again. He had assumed that they were past such childish games. 

Sigh........

"That is the third sigh this day... might I ask as to what has got my little brother so occupied?"

"What do you mean? I'm not occupied, I'm watching the movie with you!"

"No, you are not. Your eyes have been glued to the phone for the past 30 minutes. Don't think that I don't notice Wei Ying... I see all!" She made a dramatic gesture with her hand that made her look like a magician waiting to unravel her new trick. 

"Sis, you are being dramatic again."

"My darling Wei Ying... if there is anyone that is dramatic, it is you!"

The phone chose to ring in that opportune moment. Wei Ying picked it up at the speed of lightning. 

*Hello!!!*

*Hello, Sir! We are offering you home loans at only 3% interest! Would you be interested?*

*Sure! How about you buy me a house and the furniture too, yes?*

*I...Sir we do not provide those services...*

*Then stop calling me! I'm homeless. And! I prefer it that way! Good day!*

He turned around to Jing Yanli laughing like the world was coming to an end. He sat there waiting for her to finish. Once she was done, she sat up and daintily wiped the tears off from the corner of her eyes. The cheeks were puffed up and red from all the laughing.

"Are you done?"

"Hehe... For now, yes. Why terrorise the poor guy? He was only trying to make a sale..."

"Yeah Yeah..."

She got up to make a fresh bowl of popcorn and started talking... "So... How is that man? Lan Wangji... was it? Is he good?"

Wei Ying slowly turned around to face his smug sister and walked over to the kitchen. He sat on the counter and carefully eyed the woman who looked innocent. He weighed his words before answering... "Yes... Why?"

"Oh just wondering!"

"Bullshit!"

"Language! Haven't we taught you better brother?"

"Haven't you realised by now that I never listen!"

Cracking a smile she looked at Wei Ying who was sneaking in glances at his phone once again. He had the phone at his hip level where the kitchen counter hid it. But the silly boy had forgotten that the screen glows... She could tell she was checking his messages. It was her turn to sigh.

"Go..."

"Eh?"

She walked over to Wei Ying's bedroom and came back with his black leather jacket. Throwing the jacket over his head, she picked up her car keys. Walking over the unsuspecting man, she took a tight hold of his ears and dragged him all the way to the front door. Wei Ying walked blindly to the door and whimpered slowly from the pain.

"GO! Go meet him. Ask him why he's avoiding you. Please go... Neither of us is going to enjoy the movie this way. Get it out of your system. You know where he lives!"

"Wait... I never told you I know his address."

She turned around to fix him with a knowing look. "Wei Ying... Just go." 

He stood there in the hallway with a jacket over his head, keys dangling from his fingers and with hair all over the place. Pulling the jacket over his torso, he realised that his feet were cold. Looking down, he realised that he had no shoes on. He lifted his fists to knock on the door when the door suddenly opened.

All he could see was her hands holding a pair of sneakers. "You really should clean these shoes before I burn them. Please just take it and go."

"Hey now... they aren't that dirty!"

The door closed and he gently brought the shoes to his nose and took a sniff.

"Lord have mercy!"

He instantly dropped the foul-smelling things he called shoes and begrudgingly slipped them on. 

"Oh god, I can almost taste it!" He stuck his tongue out like a dog, willing the smell to go away from his system. Which is exactly when his next-door neighbour decided to walk in. The old lady gave him a scary eyed look and took off in the opposite direction. 

"No Mrs.Dorothy it isn't what it looks like! I'm not a creep!!"

Then he realised, that is what a creep would say. The old woman never turned around... all the way to the apartment. He could hear the distinct click of the secondary lock on the door.

_'Oh cmon now!'_

He ran a hand over his face and entered the elevator.

\-------------------------------------------------

He came face to face with Lan Xichen as soon as the door opened. He had a speech prepared to berate Lan Zhan for not sending him any new of what happened to him. Many a time he had wondered if Lan Zhan had gotten hurt and if he was in the hospital. But then again, he had no way to know if he didn't pick up his phone. 

All the way to Lan Zhan's apartment he had been silently hoping that he was not hurt in any way. Also, it would break down the speech that he had prepared along the way to make the man feel guilty. But coming face to face with his big brother was quite a surprise. 

"Um... Hello there! How are you?"

"Wei Ying! What a lovely surprise! Do come in." The older Lan stepped aside for the man to enter the place. The place looked the same save for the vases of bright yellow roses on the coffee table and the kitchen counter. It added a lovely pop of colour for the entire apartment that seemed so dull and desolate at times. He guessed it was the more cheerful counterpart of the Lans that did that.

"I'm doing well. How about you?" He added with a smile. 

"Wonderful! Is Lan Zhan around?" He looked at the smiling man and wondered how Lan Wangji would look with a smile adorning his beautiful face. It was strange to see two men who were cut from the same cloth to have different textures. 

"He is working... Might I interest you in coffee? or alcohol?"

"Wow, at least there is one Lan who knows how to enjoy life. But no thanks, I'm driving... coffee would be great."

"Black?"

"Yeah! How did you know?" He held up a hand and spoke again, "Because it's the colour of my soul?"

The other man burst out laughing. He walked over to the kitchen chuckling. "There is no need to be that dramatic. I already have a dramatic brother. Wei Ying?"

"Yes?"

"If you don't mind me asking... Why are you here?"

"Oh. Well. I have been trying to reach Lan Zhan for the past few days and he hadn't responded to any of my calls or messages.... or... emails."

"You emailed him?"

"Is that weird.?"

"No! If anything that is the most effective way to reach my nerd brother. Well done!"

"Haha!... Should I disturb him now or later?"

"First things first. You can enjoy your cup of coffee before you have the urge to throw it in my brother's face." He handed the man a steaming mug of coffee that smelled like heaven. 

"Smells... .."

"Strange right?"

"I haven't been able to figure out where that smell comes from... I wonder if it's the new fertilizer I brought for Lan Zhan's plants. Does it smell like soil Wei Ying?"

"Totally!!!" Soil. Yeah that's what that is. He was in front of the owner of a business conglomerate dressed in a 3-piece Armani suit with a faint scent of Chanel and money on him. How was he to accept that his shoes smelled? 

The other man kept his mouth shut after that and drank his coffee in silence. Lan Xichen chose to break the silence. 

"My brother... was not avoiding you Wei Ying."

"...Okay...?"

"I'm afraid it is not my place to tell you anything... It would be Lan Zhan's decision. I apologise but please, believe me when I tell you that my brother is not the kind of a man that purposely avoids people. Especially people close to him. But you have to promise me to let him tell you the reason... can you do that for me?" The genuine request from Lan Xichen got to Wei Ying's heart and he agreed. 

"Of course."

"He should be finishing up soon. Why don't you wait for him to come out... I think I should leave now."

"You're leaving?"

"I have a business to run and you both need some privacy. Good luck Wei Ying!"

Wei Ying watched the man leave. 

If one were to look at both the brothers from behind, there would literally be no difference. Their hair. The height. The way they both dressed in crisp suits. The shoes. Even the way they walked and carried themselves. It almost looked like they glided on the floor instead of walking. It was smooth and unhindered with no stray steps. 

Aristocrats. They were all raised the same.

But the Lan brothers. There was something more to them than just class. There was kindness where he expected arrogance. 

He sat back on the chair once he heard the door click and waited.

\---------------------To be continued................

Author's notes: 

To my lovely readers, I will constantly be updating infinite. I had questions recently asking why I'm ending it. I am NOT ending it! The updates are just taking longer than expected :)

Also, I'm working on my original novel, which is why the updates will take longer. As discussed earlier I have posted my novel on Wattpad, please give my book the support you have given for all my other books. 

It is also available on Wattpad, Tapas and Anystories if anyone is using those apps. 

<https://www.wattpad.com/story/207838822-form>


	17. The Dance

* * *

16.The Dance

* * *

It was barely 15 minutes of waiting in the kitchen when Lan Wangji stepped outside. He froze when he saw Wei Ying sitting there in silence. He did not look happy or hyper, which worried Lan Wangji. Wei Ying was always either smiling or wisecracking jokes... when he did not do that... It worried Lan Zhan. It meant something important was bothering him. 

"...Wei Ying..."

"Lan Zhan."

Crisp response. He was angry. 

"Speak, Wei Ying."

"I don't think you are in any position to tell me what to do. You have been ignoring me for the past week without any valid reason. Why?"

Lan Wangji looked away for just a minute before looking at Wei Ying square in the eyes. "Let us go into my study and I will explain."

He gently guided Wei Ying towards his study and gestured him to take a seat in the couch placed there. The smell of books always calmed him down. He had grown up surrounded by books and they had played a large part in his childhood. Hence surrounding himself in them drowned out all the noises in his mind and his heart. He looked at Wei Ying praying for the strength to talk. He looked ready to go and Lan Wangji wasn't sure how long he can talk.

"Go on. Cat got your tongue?"

He still stayed silent to count to 5 to calm himself down.

"Its the anniversary of my Mother."

"Oh wow. Congratulations. So you were busy planning a party then?"

"Wei Ying... Her death anniversary."

"..."

He saw Wei Ying open his mouth several times to respond to that statement but closed them back without getting the much-needed words out. The man averted his eyes to looked at something else. Anything else would be better than staring at those golden eyes and feeling foolish. 

That's what he felt. Foolish. 

"Her grave is at the family home in Northern China. Lan Xichen and I visit her on her anniversary every year. As it is very important to us we do not attend to any other business during those days. I realise that I have offended you. I apologise."

Lan Wangji expected sadness, tears or even cold disdain like his uncle. Most people reacted with pity in their eyes. Fake sympathy was very common as well. The most received sentences were --I know how you feel, it's going to be all right, don't worry it passes-- A lot more of which he had lost count of. He hated the way regular people reacted. 

Lan Wangji understood that that is how we are taught and conditioned to react to sad news. But he wished that people would stop sometimes! On rare occasions, he even preferred his uncle's cold disdain. He could be angry and practice some katas to release the tension. Or go for a run until he is ready to drop from exhaustion. But pity?

No.

Wei Ying did none of them.

He finally looked Lan Wangji in the eyes and got up from the couch to walk towards the other end of the room. He went to a small shelf that was kept in a corner and ruffled through it, while Lan Wangji looked at it flabbergasted. Yet he was a patient man, so he waited. Waited to make sense of Wei Ying's actions. 

He picked up a Vinyl and walked over to the gramophone tucked away on a tiny table. He calmly placed the vinyl on the gramophone and dropped the needle. The music slowly started with the humming...

He glided to Lan Zhan and said, "Dance with me?"

"Uh?"

"Dance. The gramophone keeps collecting dust. So dance with me?"

He stood there with only a few inches of space between them and stood there unwilling to move unless Lan Zhan accepted his offer; while the music played on in the background. 

This was new. 

_'I just told Wei Ying something that was a monumental part of me and he wishes to dance?'_

Unable to process any more information at that moment, he dragged his fingers across Wei Ying's shoulder bones while his other hand took the other man's palm into his own. Slowly... they began to sway to the music... He placed his face next to Wei Ying's...

♪♪ People say that love's a game......

They locked eyes at that line and swayed ever so gently that they did not even ruffle the wind beside them. Lan Zhan began speaking unable to stop himself... The words flowed unhindered like the Nile... In a voice so low that one would mistake to hearing it. 

"My mother... She was different... Unaccepted. My father abandoned everything to be with her... The business... The blood family... The name he carried as a Lan... Everything... Everything."

♪♪A game you just can't win.......

"Unable to give up either... He let her wilt away in a faraway country where I could not visit my own mother..."

"I took the name Lan and she was considered a stranger..."

♪♪ If there's a way.......

"You may have read about books and poetry about people who have lost their lives due to a broken heart. But my mother... died of one... Eventually...."

"Eventually, your father isolated himself away in duty as a punishment. He self confined himself away from the world and his sons..."

"How did you....?"

"Your book. The one you gave me a while ago. The monk who falls in love was your father... The traveller your mother... It was them. Am I right?"

♪♪ I'll find it, somebody....

"You observe too much..."

Wei Ying smiled a wholesome smile at that and encircled Lan Wangji's waist with his arm and rested it there. They were embracing now.

"It was a beautiful Lan Zhan... It moved me in a way that I haven't been moved before..."

♪♪ And then this fool will rush in.......

"So are you." The thin fingers softly pushed aside the hair from Wei Ying's face.

"What?"

"Beautiful." He did not wait to see Wei Ying's reaction at that. 

♪♪ Put your head on my shoulder....

So he did.

He engulfed the darker man in his hands and rested his head on his sturdy shoulders. He stayed there blissfully suspended in joy and peace. 

♪♪Whisper in my ear, baby.....

He was warm. 

Warm beyond the body. Warmed to the core, he prayed once more to the gods in the skies to let him keep this peace of heaven. To never take this away from him. 

Wei Ying's words came back to haunt him... He understood that Wei Ying was not ready for commitment or interested in him in a way that he is. As a man of logic, he understood this and swore to be Wei Ying's friend. And will keep that promise. 

♪♪ Words I want to hear....

But the heart that stood strong and proud all these years was starting to crumble... while he waited there helpless to stop it from floating away in all those million crumbled pieces. He stood in the middle of his study with a warm soul next to his chest and willing the heart to not break. 

_'Please don't break'_

♪♪ Tell me, tell me that you love me too...

\---------------------To be continued............................

Author's notes:

The song is -- put your head on my shoulder by Paul Anka

Definitely listen to it... You might set an ambience for the chapter...


	18. The Stars

* * *

17.The Stars

* * *

There was a knock on the door and the man inside wanted to rip the door off its hinges. He sat in his oversized black leather couch, with a glass filled with what looked like Brandy. "Get out!!"

The man on the other side opened the door and stepped in. 

"What part of-- get out-- don't you understand?"

The man that stepped inside was unfazed by his anger. Most men would have turned tail and ran away by now. "Brother, what is going on with you?"

"Get. out. I don't need a comforting presence if that's why you're here. I got it handled."

"You are sick. Why are you so hardheaded when I'm only trying to help?" Lan Xichen sat down across his old friend and waited for another emotional blow-up. 

"For a smart man you are very daft!"

"Brother c'mon, did you call the doctor?"

He was met with silence.

"Brother! Why are you so careless. It could be something serious."

"When was the last time I got sick?"

"Well...."

"Exactly! I don't get sick. It is some sort of flu or something... It will go away. NOW you go away. let me finish my drink in peace."

He gave Nie Minghue a sceptical look and said: "Are... you sure you should be drinking hard liquor?"

"Good day brother."

Lan Xichen sighed before getting up and walking towards the door. Nobody can ever get Nie Minghue to do anything that he did not want to. It was something that never happened. Trying was futile. 

"Brother?"

Lan Xichen turned around at the door and waited. "Yes?"

"...Jin GuangYao... How is he doing? You spoke to him recently?"

"What? Um... yes... we caught up over dinner recently. Why do you ask?"

"...No reason... Goodnight brother."

The door closed and Lan Xichen stood there wondering what was going on... There had been an awkward distance between Jin Guangyao and Nie Minghue for a while now and they refused to acknowledge it. The more time passed the more it got hostile rather than just awkward. He understood why Nie Mingue refused to speak about it... He was a reserved man and never the one to make peace that easily. 

But his other brother... he was kind and compassionate. He always took the first step to resolve issues with his charm and wit. Yet, he neither acknowledged the problem nor made any effort to resolve it. Which was very weird.

\---------------------------------------------

Memories.

Memories were a curse. They made you sad on the days you were happy. Miserable, on the days you were excited. And every time you closed your eyes for the night they kept you awake, miles away from the present day. They made you jittery every time a familiar perfume wafted through the air. They made you care and cry on days you had believed that you were okay. 

You spend days or even months trying to convince you that you are okay. That you have moved on, that you have forgotten them. 

And then... they all came crashing down on you someday. And you realised that you have failed. You have failed to do the thing you promised to do. 

He looked at the sleeping man on his bed and his emotions came crashing down on him like thunderstorms. 

He sat on the chair by the window. 

He looked at the sleeping form that laid on his bed bathed in starlight. The skies were clear and he lived away from the city which allowed him to have a clear view of the sky. When the windows were wide open on nights like these, he could see the stars clearly allowing most of their light to seep into his bedroom. He always had a chair by that window to enjoy the view.

But right now... he was not enjoying the stars. Not at all. He was looking at the beautiful body that laid under that starlight unmoving. He could hear the faint breathing sounds of the form in slumber. 

He was glad.

The man seemed to have a lot of nightmares. He had always assumed this man to be one of the happiest creatures at times. His smiles had fooled Lan Zhan for the longest. Happy, bubbly, hyper and ready to party at all times. Lan Zhan had refused to question those laughs. 

The happiest people sometimes hold the darkest secrets.

He never noticed that on their first night together as he had been tired and had promptly fallen asleep. His heart ached to know that Wei Ying had been sleepless and helpless. He moved a lot while he slept and had an uneasy sleep pattern. He finally had settled calmly on his chest, which showed the curve of his back in stark clarity. He avoided looking at that salacious curve of his back... Lan Zhan's mind went to forbidden places. He had his face burrowed inside the white pillows where his hair had spilled out of his well-done braid. 

He was a breathtaking mess.

Lan Zhan had promised to respect his boundaries and his own and never cross them. Yet he had broken every single one of them tonight. 

He had spent weeks... Weeks trying to get over him. To see him through a different pair of lenses. To see him as a friend. He had spent weeks trying to tell his heart to stop. To stop racing every time he saw Wei Ying. He had tried everything!

Yet here he was.

With nail marks on his back and well-kissed lips.

He cannot be the same anymore.

Till tonight he could pretend to be Wei Ying's friend until he could get over that night and actually be his friend. He had driven himself crazy at times trying to not offend Wei Ying with his feelings. He was severely introverted but there were evenings when they had spent together that Lan Zhan had considered letting the truth out.

But he was not ready to lose Wei Ying.

He cannot pretend that he does not love this man anymore.

He had tried.

Heavens above he had tried!

He looked up at the stars again as if they held all the answers to his questions. He was a religious man but he did not believe in signs. Yet he sat there waiting for the heavens to give him a sign... Anything!

He looked back at Wei Ying and noticed him clutching the sheets. His eyebrows were pursed and his eyes scrunched painfully. 

Lan Zhan abandoned the stars to go and sit beside Wei Ying. He gently took the fingers that were gripping the sheets and engulfed them in his slightly larger ones. Once again he looked at their twisted finger and wanted to take a picture of it and preserve it. He kissed those fingers one by one until the creases in his eyebrows disappeared slowly.

He sat there wondering.......

_'What next?'_

\----------------------To be continued...............

Author's notes:

I apologise for not posting earlier. My life caught up with me and I got busy with things. I had also updated FORM, please do check it out!!

FORM is a slow burn story which will pick up its pace eventually in the upcoming chapters... please be patient! 

Thank you all again for reading! :)


	19. The News

* * *

19.The News

* * *

To say that this was the most awkward morning he has ever had would be an understatement. He busied himself with making coffee for the man that was falling asleep on his kitchen counter. The man was barely clothed and had only a pair of loose pants which he had worn the day before. 

Lan Zhan avoided looking at the topless man seated on his kitchen at all cost because every time he looked at that man, the memories from the previous night came rushing back. Including how he had lamented at the stars like a lovesick fool. 

The problem was.. that it was the truth. He was a lovesick fool and he avoided thinking about it. Last night's revelations came as a surprise to him. He wasn't entirely shocked by the intensity of his feelings for Wei Ying but he did not expect the beginnings of something stronger than lust. Yet here he was.

The morning was spent in silence other than the question, "Would you like some coffee?"... To which Wei Ying replied with a sleepy nod. 

Now he was looking at something to break the silence with. Oh, the irony! Lan Wangji looking ways to break the silence when he had spent days cooped up in his home with no contact with another soul. Now he was looking around his apartment to talk about something. He looked outside to see how the weather was.

"It's a dreadful day isn't it?"

"Excuse me?"

"I mean... the weather."

"Ah..."

Lan Wangji was unsure of how to interpret a silent Wei Ying. If he was honest with himself, he was a bit apprehensive... even a bit scared of Wei Ying when he was silent. The man had the mind of a genius... and when geniuses are silent it means they are thinking a million thoughts at that time. Hence, he waited for Wei Ying to start a conversation. 

_'Clearly he didn't care about the weather.'_

"So. What do you have planned for the rest of the day?" The man finally spoke up.

"I'm going to drop by the library to pick up some books for research."

"Working then?"

"Yes."

"...Too bad..."

"Pardon me?"

Wei Ying swirled the teaspoon in his coffee to mix the cream with the coffee. He spoke without moving his eyes from the cup, "I said too bad. I was wondering if we could get breakfast together... Anyway, no issues! You go do your thing!"

"No!"

The yell almost made Wei Ying spill his coffee all over himself. 

"What the hell?!"

"I mean.. Ahem... I'm available." he regained a bit of his composure back and responded in a more normal voice. 

"Are... you sure Lan Zhan? You don't have to lie for my case."

He saw the eyes lose a bit of their usual sparkle when he said that. 

"I never lie."

Wei Ying flashed him a lovely smile that somehow made the weather a lot more tolerable. It was raining cats and dogs and he could barely see the colour of the sky. Somehow he was willing to go out to breakfast with this man even if it means he needs to get drenched in the rain. He would go to breakfast even if it was hurricane season. 

"Never....?"

"Never."

"Okay... how about twisting the truth?"

"No."

"Omitting information? But not giving out false information..."

"..."

"I take that as a yes."

"So you would rather stay silent than lie?"

"...Yes..."

Wei Ying smiled a sly smile that showed off his canines and made him look like a fox. "Now that I believe! Nobody can stay the truth all the time and not get punched in the face. And you! With that pretty face... it was hard to believe that nobody had punched it. I see how you play it now... Very smart indeed."

Lan Zhan took a sip of his coffee and hid his smile behind the cup. He decided that now was as good as any time to speak about the things happening between the. The mood was lighter yet, Lan Zhan's chest was heavy with unsaid things. He understood that speaking about what happened would put a strain on their friendship... but he was scared that he would end up losing himself and Wei Ying in the end if he stayed silent. After all, he did pride himself on being honest.

"Wei Ying..."

Wei Ying turned around to look at Lan Zhan... when the phone rang. He tried to ignore it but he decided to pick it up. It's either his brother or his editor. When Lan Zhan went to the other room to pick the call, Wei Ying went to admire the rain. He could see flashes of lightning light up the morning sky that looked like nightfall. He heard a loud noise... It sounded like a pile of books falling haphazardly onto the carpeted floor. The next moment he saw Lan Zhan rushing out completely dressed. 

"Lan Zhan?"

"Something happened... I..." Wei Ying noticed the other man breathing hard.

"What happened?"... "Lan Zhan!"

The other man snapped his head towards Wei Ying. "Someone passed away. Someone close to my family.... I have to go."

"What..."

"I have to go. Sorry about breakfast."

"Lan Zhan... Lan Zhan... calm down just for a second please..." Wei Ying walked to the tensed up man and ran his hands soothingly up and down the other man's back. "Now tell me..."

He saw Lan Zhan take a deep breath before answering, "He was my brother's friend. A good man."

"Will you allow me to go with you?"

"What?..."

"Let me go with you please? I cannot let you face this alone. I will stay out of your way, I promise! Just let me be there." Wei Ying looked at Lan Zhan with wide eyes.

"Wei Ying... the atmosphere will be dreadful..."

"I do not care. I cannot let you do this alone. C'mon..."

"...Okay."

"Okay... give me 5 minutes and I will get dressed."

Wei Ying took two steps and turned back to Lan Zhan as if he had forgotten something. He came back and dropped a soft kiss on the distressed man before rushing off to find his clothes.

They went downstairs to parking and Wei Ying stood waiting... "Maybe I should drive?"

"I can drive." The tone was final and did not leave any room for discussion. "I have you to stay calm. Do not worry."

Lan Zhan opened the passenger door for Wei Ying to slip in. 

"Always the gentleman I see..." He smiled to lighten the situation but he saw no change in Lan Zhan's features.

"What about your brother?... Is he okay?"

"Honestly?... I do not know Wei Ying."

_'I do not know'_

\----------------------------------------To be continued..............................


	20. The Funeral

* * *

20.The Funeral

* * *

They arrived at the beautiful yet compact mansion inside the Lan's family estate. The sturdy iron gate opened to a set of small villas and mansions arranged in an intricate semicircular fashion. The entire gated complex was surrounded by sprawling bushes of white roses and daisies, making it almost luminous. Even in the dark dreary weather, the estate looked peaceful and calm. 

It showed class without screaming riches in the spectator's face. 

They parked right in front of a building that looked significantly older than the rest. You could see old stones that have crumbled at corners showing the age of the building. But the shrubs of plants and the trees that surrounded the place itself caged its old charm in between them. It looked more like a castle and less like a mansion. 

Lan Zhan got out of the car and opened Wei Ying's door. He worked on autopilot and stayed silent the entire time. He handed the keys over to the valet that stood in waiting and gently motioned Wei Ying to follow. 

Stepping into the threshold, their footsteps immediately faded into silence. Wei Ying looked down to see thick ivory-coloured carpets that adorned the entire floor. As they walked inside, the room seemed to split away into two sections. On the right Wei Ying could see a beautiful living room - Beautifully furnished but still not grand. The room was designed in such a way that the decades-old walls were preserved with sturdy modern furniture. Everything stayed a muted white or ivory or brown. 

The room was also deadly silent despite the fact that the room was filled to the brim. Everyone was immaculately dressed in sharp-cut suits or formal Changshans. Majority of the men in the room were dressed in black suits with ties to match and it resembled a uniform. Others were on white Changshans or in dark suits.

(This is what a Changshan looks like. It's traditional Chinese formal clothing for men.)

Wei Ying felt out of place in such a perfect group of individuals. With Lan Wangji, he sometimes forgot that he was very influential in society and he had an exceptional background of people around him. His modest flat and beige tones fool others who enter into his life. But his name... his name always gives him away. 

Lan...

Lan Wangji looked to be searching for someone on the ground floor. Unsatisfied, he turned around and asked Wei Ying to follow him. They turned to the other side of the entrance where there was an open dining room with long tables, which led to a long winding staircase. Wei Ying stood there a minute to admire the woodwork. The craftsman clearly knew what he was doing. 

He could see the false ceiling and some modern fittings added to the staircase. But it did not lessen the charm of it. He doubted the structure would still be used without being tinkered on from time to time. He looked at Lan Wangji patiently waiting for him and hurried. 

The staircase ended at two large doors. Lan Wangji slowly knocked his signature knock. 

Two sharp raps. 

"Come in..." Came the muffled response. 

The man pushed the double doors open to an opulent library... Everywhere he could see were books! And more books! He could see chairs and tables wedged in the corners but otherwise, it was a never-ending room filled with books. 

"How are you brother...?" 

He turned around to see Lan Wangji speaking up. 

Lan Xichen's back was turned to him but Wei Ying knew that the man knew of his presence. He walked away under the pretence of looking at the books and walked a good distance away from them. He wanted the brothers to have their privacy to share their grief... Yet he did not want Lan Wangji to feel lonely and miserable. 

So, he waited by one of the shelves. Far enough to be away yet not far enough to not hear their conversation. 

"Brother? Talk to me."

Lan Xichen took a long breath to calm himself before speaking. 

"I'm thriving brother. I'm thriving as well as I can... It was so sudden!"

"How did this happen?"

"It was an accident. The crash... Just 5 days ago I remember talking to him and asking him to take care of himself... He was... He was sick these days. But he would've gotten better.. I'm sure!! Lan Zhan... how could this happen?"

"..." Lan Wangji remained silent to his brother's query. 

Wei Ying could hear the slight tremor in the older Lan's voice which signified that he was not completely out of shock yet. 

"We could always hire a PI to look into this matter..."

"No. Not now. The funeral preparations are underway and I do not wish to discuss conspiracy theories before I pay the due respects to him. He deserves that much. We need to let him go in peace before we can discuss anything..." His tone left no space for a discussion. 

"You're right. I'm sorry brother."

"That's okay..." "Wei Ying you can come out now.."

The man called on stepped out of the shadows to the centre of the room. He was in an awkward position to comfort a man that he did not know that well. He folded his hands behind his back and started speaking. 

"I apologise for intruding in a family crisis... I understand that this is a difficult time. I thought I could help, maybe I should go?"

"Oh no no Wei Ying... Not at all! We could use a little bit of your energy here. It's filled with old people and business partners. We could use friends. Please stay."

"Thank you. But hey at least I'm wearing black?"

"Too soon." Quipped Lan Wangji.

"Sorry." Wei Ying hung his head in shame. He sometimes forgot to keep his mouth shut on important occasions. 

Lan Xichen smiled a kind smile and turned to face Lan Wangji. "Make sure you pay your respects to all the family elders and..." The man trailed off and looked at Wei Ying briefly before looking back to Lan Wangji. "and... Uncle Qiren is here." 

Lan Wangji also turned around to look at him. 

"Okay... what's going on?"

"Nothing Wei Ying. Come, let us go get some breakfast. I did promise you breakfast. And brother? Are the arrangements taken care of? Is there something that I need to take care of?"

"No brother. Everything is taken care of. Just visit the elders."

"Of course brother." Lan Wangji laid a hand on his brother's shoulder and turned around to leave.

"Come Wei Ying..."

Wei Ying decided to speak up once the doors were closed behind them. 

"Hey... what was with that look? Is there something I should know."

He saw Lan Wangji visibly hesitate to answer.. "My Uncle... he doesn't approve of me."

"Approve? What do you .... Oh! Approve." Wei Ying understood what Lan Zhan meant. His presence with the young master Lan will not be encouraged. 

"Yes. we are not on good terms."

"What the hell?? What is this? The middle ages? What do you mean he doesn't approve? You aren't an alien!"

"Yeah... well. I have made my peace with myself and others. That includes people who do not understand and approve of me. 

"Let us go. I apologise, but this will be a long day."

\-----------------------To be continued.............................


	21. The Encounter

* * *

21.The Encounter

* * *

The room that they were currently in was a cosy study with a small built-in bar. There was an old yet well-maintained leather couch in a corner with plenty of chairs and a small dining table that was made out of redwood. The place again had a bookshelf with a range of books from philosophy to mathematics. Surprise surprise.

Lan Wangji had been gone for about 20 minutes and he guessed that he went to pay his respects. The other man stepped in with a large tray in hand. Wei Ying could smell the eggs and his stomach made a rumble.

"Hehe..." He looked sheepish. "You met your family?"

"I paid my formal respects, did not have time to go into details as I was getting breakfast."

"Thank you... I wasn't that hungry anyway." The stomach made another loud noise as to say that the mouth was lying. Wei Ying flashed a toothy smile to Lan Wangji and dug in.

It was a simple breakfast with eggs and toast with fresh fruits to the side. There was a warm kettle of tea to go with breakfast. Wei Ying poured both of them a warm cup of tea and looked through the window. He could hear the muted sounds of thunder from outside. It looked chilly and dark while the tea in his palm warmed him up. It was such an utter contrast.

"I have always loved the storm."

"I know."

Wei Ying turned to look at Lan Wangji at that answer and lifted an eyebrow up. "?..."

"You are always calmer and composed during a storm. You are jittery and hyper on sunny days."

"Observant..." He smiled and picked up his fork. He shoved a mouthful of eggs and struggled to chew.

"Wei Ying... slowly please..."

"Oh right! I forgot these things bother you."

They finished their breakfast in relative peace as they both could hear noises of cars being parked. Some idiot brought his bloody Ferrari to a funeral.

And Wei Ying though to himself. _'No matter how rich you are... this is just plain disrespectful. Something is seriously wrong with rich people in this world. Expect this one.... This one is different...'_ He eyed Lan Zhan from behind his cup.

Once they were done with it. Lan Zhan offered to clean up after Wei Ying but he insisted that he be the one to take the dishes to the kitchen. Wei Ying piled up all the dishes onto the tray and descended the stairs to the kitchen. As they finally reached the kitchen, he could see that it was bustling as they were preparing food for all the guests and the Butler insisted that Wei Ying leave his tray near the sink.

"You are master Lan Wangji's guest sire. And we do not work out guests, please leave them here where I shall get to them at once."

Just when he was about to walk towards the sink... He heard a faint 'Wei Ying'. He turned around to the voice and dropped the tray at once.

He stood there looking at the voice that called out, frozen on spot. Neither did he apologize nor did he move to pick up the broken pieces... he stood there stuck to the spot rendered mute, while the Butler rushed to clean up after him. Lan Wangji looked towards the voice that called out to him.

A well-built man with thick dark hair stood at the entranceway to the kitchen. He was muscled, with prominent shoulder muscles that made him look threatening. Lan Wangji was instantly reminded of Nie Mingjue and the aura he carried with him. Even though this person was not as threatening, he definitely had a chip on his shoulder.

His eyes... His eyes were the darkest he had ever seen. Pupils dilated to their fullest and jaw clenched... he was the picture of stone-cold anger. The air was static with unsaid things. The way he carried himself and the way he stood... all screamed aristocracy! Dressed in a dark suit with a violet-coloured shirt underneath, diamond cuffs to boot the look and black shoes to finish it.

"Wei Ying?"

No response.

The dark man made a sharp turn and walked away. No words were exchanged.

"Wei Ying?"

This time he recognized the voice... It was the same woman he had met multiple times around Wei Ying. The sister!

"Lan Wangji?"

He made a formal bow and spoke up, "Welcome to the family estate of the Lans."

"Oh... right of course. My condolences Lan Wangji..." She made a sympathetic face towards him and looked right at Wei Ying.

"Wei Ying... why are you here?"

"..."

"He was with me when I heard the news and insisted that he accompany me."

"Of course! Funerals are dreadful... I'm glad you have him. Wei Ying... everyone is here... take care of yourself. Lan Wangji please take care of him. I shall come speak to you both later, as I must pay my respects to the man." Saying that she gently walked away.

Lan Wangji was having a bad feeling in his gut about this day and he tried to speak to Wei Ying again... "Wei Ying...?"

Wei Ying walked away without a word and Lan wangji followed. The man went upstairs and went back to the room that they had had their breakfast in and closed the room with an audible click. The taller man stood outside and contemplated his actions... should he go in or wait..

He knocked and spoke up "Wei Ying? May I come in...?"

"Yes..." Came the quiet reply.

He gently closed the door behind him and looked at the man who was peeking at the clouds through the window. His jaw was taut and his eyes forlorn. His usually cheerful disposition was crumbled to a tired one. He looked older... much older... He looked like a man who had lived through 2 lifetimes.. and that this was his third one.

He was hesitant to ask Wei Ying anything that this seemed like a very difficult topic to talk about. Whatever it was, Lan Wangji was sure that it was going to change their dynamics.

"Wei Ying..."

"I apologize. I... wasn't expecting them..."

"Who?..."

"That. Was my brother."

"Pardon me?"

"My brother... that was my brother..."

"I see... Why.."

"Why is he here?"

"..Yes.."

"He belongs to the Yunmeng Jiang clan. I'm sure you already know them..."

"...The Yunmeng Jiang Clan?!"

"...."

"You... What?"

"Long story... But in short, I got adopted into the family which is why I don't carry their name. I do not consider myself an aristocrat and I do not want any part of the family money. I'm still the same person... but the story just got a lot more complicated on my end. Are you going to run away Lan Zhan...?"

Lan Wangji looked at the storm brewing outside and looked at the man who was no less impactful than a storm. He had a storm inside... He walked to the other man and laid a gentle hand on the side of his face, cupping the cheek.

And whispered words that would forever stick with Wei Ying...

"Never."

\-----------------------To be continued...........................


	22. The Bow

* * *

22.The Bow

* * *

The funeral started quite late.

The funeral was held in western-style, vaguely put. They held a closed casket funeral instead of the traditional cremation ceremony. The death had been so sudden and such a shock to everyone that they had not had enough time to prepare for the rites in a proper Chinese way and had hence settled for a simpler one.

An elaborate dinner was being prepared in the family estate for all the attendees. Wei Ying had stayed in the study upstairs the entire time with Lan Wangji while had watched the visitors arrive one by one. They were mostly aristocrats including politicians, businessmen, performers and even policemen.

The entire estate was sprawling with visitors who have accommodated accordingly.

"Wow... that's a lot of people. How do you accommodate them here?"

"We have plenty of mansions empty for this purpose."

"Ah... of course. But considering these people are plutocrats and very rich... that must be hard eh? Do you allow them entire villas?"

"No."

"No?"

"The Lan family albeit being rich believes in simple living. Which means everyone gets a spacious room with access to call the Butler and facilities. No more no less."

"Seriously?"

"Everyone is treated equally here. If you are here, you abide by our rules. Your money or class does not matter. Your manners do."

"That is... quite commendable Lan Zhan... I did not know that."

"..."

"I know that look... There is something on your mind, isn't there?" "Go on... tell me."

"How was it when you lived with your family?"

"Ah... such a complicated question. Should we be chatting when there is a funeral about to start?"

"My brother asked me to wait until the funeral starts. So we wait."

Wei Ying sighed and sat down on the sofa. He then patted to space next to him and invited Lan Wangji to sit. He unbuttoned his jacket and heeded Wei Ying's request.

"So... answering your question... In Yunmeng Jiang clan, the customs were set. Traditions were not ignored. Which included accommodating the wealthy the way they seem fit. Sometimes we gave them entire houses while they visited. It was obnoxious, to be honest. But Lady Ziyuan was strict about these things... She did not want the family to be badmouthed by these rich bastards. Sorry...."

"It's okay."

"That doesn't mean they treated other people badly... quite the opposite. They always made sure everyone was comfortable and contributed to multiple charities. It just... never felt right for me to participate in these extravagant parties or events. Which made me an outsider overtime... which also caused the gap between me and my brother to grow exponentially. That's pretty much it."

"I see..."

"...What?"

The sudden knock to the door stopped the flow of conversation.

"Sire, Master Xichen has requested the attendance of you and your guest."

"At once."

"Would you be needing anything else sire?"

"None. Thank you."

He heard the butler's footsteps walk away and turned towards Wei Ying. "You do not have to attend the funeral if you do not want to face your family."

"No. I came here for you and to pay the due respects to the dead. I will stay as long as you will stay. Let us go."

Wei Ying tied his hair in a neat ponytail at the base of his head and straightened his black shirt. While Lan Zhan changed into a White Changshan to follow the family customs. They both stepped out to face the others.

\--------------------------------

The funeral was a very quiet affair. People would've heard even if a pin had dropped. Wei Ying stood at the end of the enormous hall, near the door while Lan Wangji stood at the front with his brother and clan elders. He had insisted that Wei Ying join him but Wei Ying had refused politely. He did not fancy any drama happening at the funeral.

He could see where his family was seated.

His brother looked tall and regal as usual. His sister.. light of his life.. was seated beside him in a long dark dress. He remembered picking out the dress for her. He smiled at that memory. She looked a bit lost at the event and was glancing around.

He moved away from her line of vision because he knew she was looking for him. She would mostly invite him to sit with them. _'You are family Wei Ying'_ she would say.

He browsed the room more to see a familiar face.

He remembered the incident at the charity dinner. The man who bumped into him and asked him to apologise.

_'Rude bastard.'_

Standing right beside Lan Xichen was an old man dressed in white with silver mane and a beard to match. Fine lines of age made him look stern and strict. Yet he stood without support or hunch. His back was straight, chest puffed up, he carried himself with the air of royalty. Very few people could hold a candle to the old man's presence.

Some people just stepped into a room and garnered attention. Good or bad he did not know. Nor did he want to discover that.

The funeral had proceeded without a glitch and everyone gathered around a chair where someone was sitting...

Wei Ying strained his neck to see who it was but he couldn't. He stayed in the shadows until everyone had left, leaving only the closest of kin. He breathed a sigh of relief as his family was guided to their residence by the butler.

There. At the corner. Hunched on a chair, he could see a young man. He looked much younger than Lan Zhan with dark brown hair and short stature. He could see the man's face... he looked anguished yet he tried to keep a courteous face for the elders.

Brave man.

Wei Ying guessed he was a close family member. He could hear vague conversations from people... He could hear a lot of 'I'm sorry'... a lot of 'Do not worry'... 'brother...'

He guessed that this man was probably a younger or elder brother of the deceased.

He saw Lan Wangji walk towards him.

The man looked dignified in traditional clothing... decked in all white. He looked like a wise man who had found enlightenment. Wei Ying was tempted to smile at that but then remembered that he was at a funeral.

"Wei Ying... I would like you to meet my family."

"Excuse me? I sounded like you asked me to meet your family... That cannot be possible."

"You do not wish to?" He saw Lan Wangji's voice dip at that question.

"No! That's not what I meant. Is your uncle not there?"

"We are friends Wei Ying. Are we not?"

Lan Wangji saw Wei Ying stop speaking... "...."

"I... of course we are."

"Then no need to be nervous."

He moved aside for Wei Ying to walk. The closer they got, the more Wei Ying got apprehensive. The entire roomed quieted down to size the new visitor. Lan Xichen was the only one who gave him a kind smile... Everyone else looked at him with keen... sharp eyes.

As he stepped closer, Lan Wangji made an introduction.

"Elders. Uncle. And everyone. This is Wei Ying. My friend."

Wei Ying gave a formal bow to everyone and went to the brother who stood up to greet him, "My condolences." He clasped the man's hand and was surprised to see the strength in the handshake. He looked fragile... but there was steel underneath those fingers.

The man gave a quiet nod to acknowledge the sentiment.

"Wei Ying?"

He turned towards Lan Wangji's voice.

"This my uncle."

Wei Ying bowed and as he stood up, he could see the older man's eyes scrunch in judgement.

_'What did I do now?'_

_\-------------------To be continued...................._


	23. The Clansmen

* * *

23.The Clansmen

* * *

Author's note:

Dear readers... I realise that I haven't posted in a long time. Hence as an apology, I decided to do a bulk update :D

Happy reading!!

\----------------------------------------------------------

The glass smashed across the ornate armoire with a sharp noise that resonated across the quiet room.

"That bastard!! He promised to make sure that this doesn't come back and bite me in the ass! Where is he now?!"

The man paced the room like a caged animal while the woman sat at the edge of her seat. When he lost his temper, it always bodes trouble for her. She waited for him to calm down...

"I'm going to ruin him! Just you watch!!"

\----------------------------------------------------

The man had high arched eyebrows with a slight nick at the corner. He had a long silver beard that he kept neat. Wei Ying noticed that they were the same height... yet the man somehow seemed taller. Much taller.

Wei Ying almost wanted to shrink under that gaze. But if time with his family had taught him anything, it was the fact that most rich people had a lot of ego and no brain. But this man... this particular man... his eyes were different. They did not burn with anger or disapproval... they shone with controlled anger. They looked like melted pools of iron.

The age came through with age lines and wrinkles but the man had no hunch. He stood straight with his chin slightly raised. The man looked fit as an ox and Wei Ying concluded that he could kick his ass if provoked.

"Wei Yin. From which clan are you, descendant, from?"

'Ah! The age-old question on how much you are worth so that they could choose to respect you accordingly.'

"None Sir. I'm merely a friend of Lan Wangji's."

"I see. The boy I saw at Jiang Yanli's engagement must have been your twin indeed."

His eyes widened with that accusation and he looked the man straight in the eye.

"They are my family sire. But they are not my blood family as you can see... I do not carry their name. Nor their money. Would that be enough explanation?"

"Do not lie to me again. Xichen!"

"Uncle?"

"I must go. Take care of things here and join me and the clan elders in our second study. We have much to discuss."

"Of course."

Everyone in the room bowed to the man and the elders leaving the room. Their uncle barely cast a look upon Wei Ying before walking out of the room with his air of arrogance. Wei Ying was irritated. He looked towards Lan Wangji to see the same controlled anger in him.

Lans.

How does one ever figure them out?

The only people left in the room were the Lan brothers, himself and the deceased's brother. And the deceased himself, sealed in the coffin.

"Master Xichen... might... might I leave now? please?..."

Wei Ying could see the man fiddling with his fingers which showed nervousness. His eyes were downturned and stayed facing the floor. He was slightly hunched with a meek disposition. Something about the man itself seemed off to Wei Ying... But then again... he just lost a family member. Grief changes people.

He off all people should know that.

Lan Xichen sat down and gently asked the man to sit down beside him.

"Nie Huaisang... I must ask for a favour from you. Would you grant it to me please?"

"Offf.. Of course... master Lan."

Lan Xichen turned to the other two occupants and spoke up, "Wei Ying you can go to your quarters and rest up... I know that this was a long funeral. You must be exhausted... Should you wish to go home, you could. But I suggest you stay here as it looks like a storm is on its way. Lan Zhan will find you a comfortable room."

"Of course. Please don't worry about me."

"It must've been difficult meeting your family here again... I apologise."

"Lan Xichen please... it was not your fault at all."

"You are always kind Wei Ying..." The man cracked an inadequate smile at that statement and turned towards the man he called Nie Huaisang and held his hands in both of his.

He noticed Lan Wangji nudging him to leave so as to give the two privacy that they require. As they walked out of the hall Wei Ying could hear the conversation until it got faint and faint...

"Would you please consent to an autopsy to be done on your brother?..."

Wei Ying slowly turned his head towards the conversation...

_'Autopsy?? Why??'_

He measured his steps as he walked towards the exit...

"Just to make sure that everything is okay... The plane just crashed. Plenty of plane crashes happen every year, yes I know! But your brother owned this jet. Regular checks were done and the pilots were handpicked. Also... your brother himself has a license. Are you supposed to believe that he just plummeted to his death??!"

_'Shit....'_

They were almost at the exit...

"Someone... someone... mur... murdered my brother??..."

The rest of the conversation could not be heard and the piteous wails of Nie Huaisang resonated from the walls. They were heartbreakingly pathetic and made Wei Ying want to console the poor man. But he knew as a stranger that he should stay in the sidelines.

Once they were out, Lan Wangji quietly closed the double doors and took his arm to guide him through the house.

They went upstairs and passed the study that they had had breakfast in and walked further within the corridor. The straight pathway turned to a sharp left forcing you to go into a narrow lane where it ended in an elegant door.

"This is where you will be staying for tonight. I hope you are comfortable here."

Wei Ying stepped into the creaking wooden floors to an old mahogany bed in the centre of the room. Thick carpets covered the floors that made his feet sink into them. He could see a small fireplace by the corner... It more looked like a place to keep the embers alive rather than have a full open fire.

There were lights hanging from the ceiling and a small door by the corner. It looked much simpler compared to the other rooms he had been in. Where the other rooms showed a well-maintained class. This one showed quiet affection in its warm glow, tucked away in the corner of the mansion.

"It used to be my room."

"Haha... It's a lovely room Lan Zhan. I can almost imagine you sitting by the fire as a kid with a mountain of books around you. For some reason, I don't see you with toys, even as a child. What a boring child you must've been." He cracked a slight smile at that quip.

"Probably."

"Aww don't be like that. I was only joking, Haha!"

Lan Wangji did not respond to that. Instead, he proceeded to the small door and opened it. "This is the bathroom and you get hot water."

"Yes, I know. Why are you telling me this?"

"?..."

"What?... Don't tell me... Oh. Okay."

"...What?"

"No No... it's okay. I understand. Always a gentleman."

Lan Wangji looked genuinely confused at that remark and waited for Wei Ying to provide an explanation.

"Is something wrong?"

"I just realised that we will be staying in different rooms. It's okay! No worries!"

Wei Ying noticed the other man's eyes widen slightly while he lowered himself on the bed. He sat there and looked at Wei Ying like the man had grown another head.

"You... You expected us to share a room?"

Lan Wangji looked so confused at that question that it was borderline adorable. Wei Ying was compelled to crack a smile at that face. He sat beside the space to Lan Wangji and tried to explain, "Yes well... after last night it wouldn't have been such a surprise... right?"

"Ah. Yes."

\----------------------To be continued...................


	24. The Grief

* * *

24.The Grief

* * *

Then they all came crashing.....

He remembered those tumultuous emotions that he had felt last night. It was hard for him to believe that all these things had happened on the same day. He still remembered the feeling of this man's finger intertwined with his. He remembered staying awake the whole night to make sure Wei Ying slept peacefully. 

He recalled how disturbed he had been. His heart threatened to break out his rib cage with the onslaught of emotions; yet on the outside, he had the facade of a calm man. He only remembered one other day that he had felt the same way in his entire life... and it had not been a happy occasion. 

His memory of the day is not as detailed... He was only 10. But the way he felt was not something he ever forgot. 

He remembered the paramedics carrying his mother to the ambulance after she had collapsed. He remembered standing there in the middle of the room looking at all the people that were walking around hooking up various machines to his mother. 

He had neither his brother nor his father by his side. He remembered dialling his uncle's number and informing him that his mother had collapsed and dialling for the ambulance afterwards... all the while the tears were threatening to break free. 

'To hold one's emotions together is a sign of discipline' - His uncle had taught him. He had remembered his lessons and had schooled his features. 

He remembered the butler trying to make him feel better and stroking his back. The old man had stayed back to take care of the house while he rode in the ambulance with his mother. That's where his memory started going hazy... He could not remember much from the minute they stepped inside the hospital. 

He couldn't remember when his brother arrived. But he does remember that his father never came...

He had held her fragile hand in his tiny ones while they put her on the ventilator. 

When they gave him time to say goodbye...

When they asked him to count the seconds...

He does not remember when her soul departed her body. 

His brother had told him that he had passed out with his head on his mother's chest. That it took two people to pry him from his mother's grip after she had passed away. 

He remembered his heart shattering into a million inconsolable pieces while crumbling down in his brother's arms.He remembered cursing his father and his entire clan. None of his stupid lessons from his uncle had mattered then. 

He does not remember the next two days spent in tears, locked away in his room. The very same room that they were in... right now.

He promised himself to tell Wei Ying the truth... but sitting beside him... he was unable to get the words out. 

Lan Wangji abruptly stood up and walked over to the small chair that was present opposite to the bed and turned it to face Wei Ying. He sat there with practised ease and placed his hands on his knees. 

"Hey what was that?! Do I smell?? In my defence, neither of us had time to shower today and it's not my fault that you always smell good!! You're unnatural!"

"Wei Ying..."

"What the hell is it anyway?! I want a bottle!"

"Wei Ying!"

"What?!"

"I cannot be friends with you."

Both the parties in the room abruptly ceased talking. The pregnant silence stretched across the nine realms and neither moved nor spoke. The simple sentence held so much weight that they both drowned in it. It was finally Wei Ying that choose to break the silence and to take the leap of courage. 

"I see. Why?"

Lan Wangji visibly took a deep breath of air and let it all out before speaking... Legends say that this was the day that Lan Wangji had spoken the most.

"I cannot be friends with you because I wish to have more. This is not a game for me. I feel more things towards you than I have ever felt for another person and the words 'friends' doesn't even begin to cover it. As much as I understand I'm only your friend... I cannot accept it."

He abandoned his chair and went to stand by the window. The rain had stopped and the night looked still. It was an utter contrast to the storm that brewed inside him. He had no intentions of blowing up at Wei Ying's face but his heart was close to breaking and he could hold it together no longer. 

Only after he had said those did he realise what he had ruined. He had wanted to stay by Wei Ying's side, if only as a friend. Every day... the man gave him more reasons to love him instead of repelling him. 

"I know that we are different and our lives have been different. I know that we do not belong together. Believe me, I know... I have known for a while now. Understanding is different from acceptance. Wei Ying I cannot do both. I'm sorry."

They were polar opposites in everything that they did. He had waited for a day to come by when Wei Ying would disgust him... but there came no such day. Rather, he had found himself falling deeper into the hole that he had dug himself.

Wei Ying could hear a muffled "I'm sorry" from the man by the window. 

"You are right. We shouldn't share a room."

There. 

It shattered right there.

When he turned around... his eyes were unreadable. 

"Get some rest Wei Ying. Ring 203 on the intercom to call the butler, if necessary. Good night." There was no sting to the tone, he sounded exactly how he sounded on most days.

"Good night Lan Zhan."

He solemnly walked to the door and closed it with a click. 

He stood there... with his back to the door. He breathed slowly... giving himself the time to collect the shattered pieces in his palm. 

With each step he took, he could feel the gravity pull him down... He could feel his own weight dragging him down.

Oh, how his clan elder members would be rolling around in their graves if they could see him now! 

Once he was safe and sound in his study he let two tears slip unnoticed by the world. No one would ever know how the stoic second master Lan - of one of the most prominent families- had crumpled with only a few words. The sound of low thunder masked the sounds of teardrops falling down. 

He walked towards the bookshelf and picked up an old dusty book tucked away in the corner. He flipped through the pages and found the old, discoloured photograph. She was and always will be the most beautiful person he had ever seen. Charming curls framed her kind smile making her look almost ethereal. 

He wondered what his mother would've said. 

She would've loved Wei Ying. He was sure.

He was sure...

\-----------------------To be continued.......................


	25. The Beginning

* * *

25.The Beginning

* * *

*BANG BANG*

The man woke up to a loud banging noise outside his door. The door almost shook in its hinges and he stood up from the couch to check on the commotion outside. He had barely slept and the person on the other side was already testing the limits of his temper.

He was still the second successor to the family and needs to look decent. He fixed his hair and checked the clock and it read 4:19 am. Peeking outside the window he could see that there was a mild downpour and it was still dark. He quickly grew worried that there was some trouble with his brother and hurried to open the door.

Here he was.

Devil spawn.

He stood there in his all-black clothes with tousled hair and darkened eyes. He had eye bags that made his eyes look impossibly dark and menacing. The clenching his jaw was visible... and there was an unreadable expression beneath those pools of black gold.

"Wei Ying..."

"What did you mean?!"

"..."

"When you said we're different. What did you mean?"

He pointed a lean finger at Lan Wangji's chest with storm clouds gathering over his eyebrows.

"Wei Ying... calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down!! You said all that crap and confused my head. I couldn't sleep all night. Do you even know how I felt?!"

_'Oh, the irony.'_

He was no less hurt but he decided that a calm conversation was better than throwing around words.

"Tell me."

"What??"

"Tell me how you felt."

"Well... I... I felt confused. And irritated! What happened to let's stay friends?! I thought we were working towards that? And what did you mean by we're different? How did you even expect this conversation to go? What do you mean you have feelings for me?"

"One question at a time. Sit."

He plopped onto the couch unceremoniously and rubbed his creased forehead with his hand.

"Speak."

"Stop rushing me!"

"Sorry."

"Since when... have you felt this way about me?"

"Since I gave you my book."

"What the.... That long?"

"Yes."

"Okay... You insisted on being friends because?"

"I didn't"

"What do you mean you didn't"

"I agreed. I did not insist."

"Ah... Fine Fine. That's on me. Why... Why tell me only last night?"

"I don't know Wei Ying..."

Wei Ying nodded at that.

"What did you mean by 'we're different'?"

"We're of different worlds. We grew up differently. Everything we like and dislike is different."

"I see... If the differences mattered so much... why would you confess in the first place?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me!"

"No. They don't."

"Um... okay... Now I'm confused."

"I said I understand why you wish to stay friends. Not that I want to."

"I... you... stop twisting my words!!!"

"I'm not."

Wei Ying threw his head back and let out a frustrated scream.

"ARRGH!!!! Why are you so difficult to read?"

"...."

"I'm hungry."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me Lan Zhan. I'm hungry. Get me food."

"Now you're ordering me."

"Fine. Please?"

Lan Wangji gave up arguing with Wei Ying and rang the intercom. Wei Ying sat there on the couch listening to the conversation over the intercom. Lan Wangji still had the receiver in his hand and Wei Ying decided to drop the bomb.

"You better get used feeding me all the time because I'm no good at cooking. And I'm hungry all the time."

"Why?"

"I get cranky without food. If we're dating, I expect you to feed me. Understood?"

It took a full minute to hit the man. But when it did... it was glorious!

He dropped the phone receiver and along with it went the rest of the phone. It was a vintage embellished phone that almost came off its hinges. It was a possession of Uncle Qiren's and he was in for a long lecture.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Loud and clear."

"..."

"Oh boy. Lan Wangji had stopped working.... Should I reset you?"

"..."

"Yep. You definitely need a reboot."

He pinched Lan Wangji's cheek just enough to hurt but not enough to leave a mark and screamed in his ear. "Wakey Wakey!"

That eventually seemed to snap the man out of his stupor.

"You want to date?"

"Yes."

"Me?"

"Yes second master Lan. Would that suit your highness?"

"Wei Ying. Do not joke."

"I know I love making jokes but I am not now. I have hurt you unknowingly all these months... but only because I didn't realise it. To be honest Lan Zhan, had you asked me out 3 months ago I would've refused flat out. But now... after getting to know you... Things are in a different place. Believe me, sleeping with you was not planned. It just happened."

"I see..."

"I'm not sure if you have noticed but you are very hot."

Lan Wangji coughed at that. His ears turned a mild pink.

"A grown a** man blushing shouldn't be this adorable but it is."

"Are you... sure?"

"You being hot? Hell Yes! I am!"

"Not that."

"Haha!! I'm not saying that I'm in love Lan Zhan because I'm not. But when I thought about being with you.,. My heart fluttered. It hadn't done that in a long long time."

Lan Wangji processed what Wei Ying had said before speaking.

"I understand... We take it slow."

"Hahaha! You have already seen me naked Lan Zhan. Don't worry about taking it slow. Let us set our own pace, yes? Let us see where it goes."

"Okay."

"That looks expensive."

The taller man finally noticed Uncle Qiren's phone lying on the ground. "It's Uncle Qiren's"

"Oops. Trouble?"

"Yes. But it's worth it."

"See this... On most days you don't even realise what you do to me."

"I don't understand?"

"Of course you don't. Let's seal it with a kiss?"

"You are not subtle."

"I know. Kiss me."

"No."

He blinked once. Then twice.

"What do you mean no?! What is this? Revenge?"

"Yes..."

"Ah..! Second master Lan... my my... the real colours come out now eh? Is this how it's going to be between us?"

"No. Just this once."

"So pretty Lan Zhan. Fine! Have it your way! I'm going to get comfortable until breakfast arrives."

The heir of the Lan clan wanted to smile till his teeth hurt. But his self-control was legendary. Hence he maintained his dignity.

Until Wei Ying took off his shirt.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting comfortable. I don't sleep with clothes on. It's still 4.30 and I'm drowsy. You can wake me up when the food gets here."

He finally slipped out of his dark cotton shirt and all Lan Wangji could see were rippling back muscles. They flexed as Wei Ying gently laid the shirt on a chair and stretched out his arms. He pulled them above his head and rotated his wrists. Then he dipped to the left to work out the kinks in his hips.

And then he did a high kick to hear a click in his knee.

He finally exhaled and said in a breathy tone, "Man that feels good after sitting in one position."

He turned around only to have a forceful mouth smushed to his. It was clumsy kiss and their teeth clanked in the process. It sent a mild shock to their brains and they finally pulled apart to do it right.

The darker man looped his fingers through the other man's belt loops and pulled hard. They were joined at the hips with Lan Zhan's fingers tangled up in Wei Ying's silky locks. He moved those fingers away from his hair and lifted the stubborn chin. There was a vicious twinkle in Wei Ying's eyes and it sent the taller man into overdrive.

"Cmo'n boyfriend kiss me right."

Boyfriend. He liked that term.

It was definitely better than friends.

\-------------------------To be continued...........................

Author's notes:

I did not want a dramatic beginning to their stories. Although both of them are drama queens, I wanted to skip the dramatic unions that couples usually get in stories. I wanted to incorporate the plot into this story and develop their romance in a healthy way rather than have a grand declaration. 

As this story is in a modern setting I felt that they could communicate easier. And that they could have more experiences together than being in a state of confusion throughout the story. 


	26. The Bulletin

* * *

26.The Bulletin

* * *

_ *rings* _

The two lips separated reluctantly and Wei Ying took out the phone from his pocket to see that his alarm had gone off. Lan Wangji was still busy sprinkling his neck with small kisses and Wei Ying was having a hard time remembering what the alarm was for.

"Crap..."

The busy man lifted his head to lock eyes with Wei Ying. "Hmm?"

"I have to go... I have classes today and my laptop is at my apartment. I have to go pick it up. Ugh!! I was hoping to get you naked... my bad."

Lan Wangji had to roll his eyes at that quip. He released the warm body from his arms and stepped aside. While Wei Ying was smoothing out the wrinkles in his shirt, the other man took a minute to ponder over the roller coaster of emotions that he had gone through in the past 48 hours. It was almost surreal. 

He had thought that he would lose this perfect man forever. He had been entirely unprepared for the turn of events that took place. He wanted to pinch himself just to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. 

"Wei Ying... Are you sure?"

"Oh, I'm sorry I really have to go to work. The exams are nearby and I have a few things to go over with the students.... Sorry!"

He stepped closer to Lan Wangji and cupped his face in his palms. He slightly bent his head and dropped a small kiss on the other man's jaw. He dragged his hands away from the jaw to the solid chest and finally rested them on his waist.

"No, Wei Ying... About us."

"Oh. Why? Have you changed your mind?"

"Never." 

He nudged a single elegant hand away from his waist and kissed it with all the tenderness in the world. 

Wei Ying would deny it if anyone ever asked him... But his heart skipped a beat at that moment. He grasped onto the hand holding his and smiled.

"I'm not entirely sure how we are going to do this... I haven't figured out the mathematics of this... But I do know that I want this as much as you do. Just help me. I cannot remember the last time I was in a relationship. Unless you count one night stands?"

"Wei Ying..."

"Yes..."

"I never want to talk about your one night stands. Ever."

He blinked. Once. Twice. 

Then threw his head back and laughed, "Hahaha!! Got it. Anyway, I have to go home to get my teaching materials ready."

"Let me drop you. It's still early."

Wei Ying smiled and nodded at that accepting the offer. 

They stepped out of the mansion at the wee hours of the morning with hands tightly intertwined. None of the guests was awake which made the newly formed couple a lot braver in holding hands in public. 

Little did they notice the figure at the window watching at their every move until they drove away.

The figure turned away and sat down. He dialled a number and waited.

_ *Good morning sir. Has something happened?* _

_ *No. I need background information about someone. His name is Wei Ying and he is associated with the Yunmeng Jiang Clan. Find everything you can and send it to me. Keep it confidential.* _

_ *Understood. Anything else I can do for you?* _

_ *No* _

\-------------------

_ **Chairman of the board and the current Director of a prominent multinational security firm speculated to have passed away in an aeroplane crash. An investigation is underway as it is believed to be an act of crime.** _

He threw the touchpad across the room only for it to fall into the glass coffee table and shatter it in the process as well. 

'Great! Now he's got a f**king mess to deal with.'

The headlines were splattered all across the newspapers, blogs and social media portals. He had stupidly assumed that the entire clan would've kept it under the wraps, instead, that f**ker gave the media complete rights to write whatever they wished. 

Everyone knew that the younger brother was the stupid one but no one thought he would be this stupid. He had let the company take a big fall by taking part in a controversy. This would be causing the stocks to fall in the market and he seemed to give no rats ass about this. 

"Stupid Ba***rd!! He is ruining everything!"

\--------------------------

"Sir?"

"Shit."

He was completely taken aback at that response. In his entire time being the secretary to his boss... Not once had he ever seen his boss curse or use foul language. 5 years of serving Lan Xichen and this was the first time he had ever lost his composure. 

He was at a loss for words as he had never been in this situation before. Hence, he stayed quiet.

"Henry! Please come in."

The younger man tentatively stepped inside his sprawling office. The man was 25 years old and has been working for Lan Xichen for almost all his adult life. His father used to be employed as a driver to Lan Qiren and had said nothing but nice things about the first master Lan. Since the first day five years ago and till now, not once was he ever disrespected or treated badly. 

He considered himself very lucky as he had heard horror stories from all his friends. He had seen his friends get drunk out of their minds and curse their bosses. He had thanked whatever gods had led him to Lan Xichen.

"Is this a bad time sir?"

"What? Of course not! Tell me what is the matter?"

"Your presence in this year's economic forum is requested, sir. Should I be confirming your presence as usual?"

Lan Xichen seemed to take a minute to think over this and responded, "Stall them. I have some things to take care of... How about you tell them that I will get back to them eventually?"

"Yes sir, I can do that."

"Good. Thank you, Henry. And I apologise about earlier... I was frustrated."

"Sir... If I may take the liberty to say something?"

"Of course. You are always free to speak your mind, Henry."

"Might I suggest that you take a few days off sir? I understand... I understand that the loss of Mr.Minghue had been a big shock to a lot of us, mostly you sir. You were good friends. Maybe taking a break to calm your mind might be a good idea?..."

"Hm... Unfortunately, I cannot. Work has pilled up and I cannot afford that kind of a luxury right now. And I want you to know that you will be taking up a lot more responsibilities soon as well. We all must pull our weights."

"I understand sir. I apologise if I have overstepped."

"Oh no! It's all good. Anything else?"

"No sir."

"You can leave then. Thank you, Henry."

"Of course sir."

The door gently closed to a click and Lan Xichen dropped into the couch as all the strength in his body left him. He looked at the clouds splattered across the dark sky and the stars that peaked out from behind them. He picked on his nails trying to calm his nerves and finally looked at the table. 

He picked up the envelope on his table with trembling fingers.

Crash investigation report. Case number: A258K0

\------------------------To be continued....................


	27. The Drive

* * *

27.The Drive

* * *

Wei Ying was living in an unknown world with swirling colours. 

_'Soooo many colours.'_

The lights were spinning and he could see a halo around the bartender's head. 

"God?!"

"No Wei Ying. You are drunk. He is the bartender. I am embarrassed." 

He turned around to look at the voice that spoke to him. The man in front of him seemed to glow with a radiance that made his eyes go blind. He had the perfect porcelain skin he had ever seen in a man, soft lips that were begging to be kissed and the most beautiful golden irises. He looked like he had stepped out of one of those mythical stories that his sister had read to him when he was younger. 

And he was speaking to him. 

"Oohhhh...."

"Oh?"

"You are soooooo beautiful. What's your name pretty boy?"

The man in front of him blinked with a stone face. "Pretty boy?"

"Yessss...sssss... You!"

He yelled the last word out that a few people in the bar turned around to look at him. He looked around to see random faces staring at him. 

"Are they looking at me?"

"They definitely are Wei Ying."

Wei Ying gasped at that statement and spoke again, "You know my nameee???"

"Wei Ying..." The other man looked like he had given up on life itself. He put his head in his palms and sighed. 

"Awww.... don't be sad. You are way too pretty to be sad. Bad day at work?"

"Wei Ying... how many did you drink?"

"Hmmm..." He held out 6 fingers. Then seemed to get confused and changed them to 10. He looked at the man in front of him and smiled a toothy smile. "Hehe... I no remember... "

"He had about 8 shots of tequila and 3 shots of vodka sir. I'm afraid I cannot serve him any longer lest he gets sent to the ER for alcohol poisoning. Please take him home sir." The bartender sounded tired and worn out. 

Lan Wangji checked his watch and it read 2 am. He was taken aback at how long he had stayed awake. It surprised him that he had been doing a lot of things lately that were completely out of character for him. 

On top of the list was falling for a man he barely knew. And at the bottom of the list was staying up most nights with his lover. Which included far exciting activities rather than taking his drunk lover home. 

Lan Wangji took at second look at the blubbering mess of a man that Wei Ying had become. He was barely able to hold himself up on the bar stool. By now, the bartender was serving water in shot glasses and Wei Ying could barely tell the difference. That's how drunk he was. 

This surprised him.

Wei Ying had an extremely high tolerance for alcohol and despite drinking a lot on most days, he always stayed within his limits. He never went overboard just to test his threshold. He loved his job and always was up and sober on the next day. He never went out of control...

This made Lan Wangji wonder if something had happened. 

Wei Ying had completely let himself go and this worried Lan Wangji. 

He paid the bartender and left a hefty tip for his troubles. He then gently wound an arm around the beautiful mess of a man and lifted him up off the chair and guided him towards the exit. 

"Hey... pretty boy! You trying to kidnap?..."

Lan Wangji chose to stay silent at that question. 

"Answer meeeeeee......." Came a louder a question. 

"No."

"Then why...Why are you hugging mee?"

"I'm not."

"Hehehe you drunk too eh?"

Lan Wangji was a man of iron self control but the urge to smack his head against a wall was immense right now. 

"Pretty boyyyy... I got a boyfriend. I'll have you know!"

"Do you?"

"yess.ssssssssss. He is haaandsomee."

"Is he now?"

"Smart...and and kind... and ...smart... wait. Did I say that already?"

"Yes"

"Ohhhh big serious man. No talk talk?"

Wei Ying was starting to test his patience and as cute as he was... Lan Wangji needed to get him home before he vomited on himself. Or his car.

They finally got to the parking spot. Lan Wanji proped Wei Ying next to the car and went to open the door. He made sure to take his bag that he had left in the backseat. He then laid a clean banket over the seat in case Wei Ying wanted to lie down. 

He then softly placed Wei Ying in the back seat and spoke up "Lie down, you will feel better."

"But... How will I get home?"

"I will carry you. Rest."

"You're a good boyfriendddd....Hmmm..."

A tiny smile broke through the cold man's face... _'So he did recognise him..'_ He picked up a few stray stands of hair and moved them away from the face that he loved so much.He tucked the blanket around the curled up form and slid into the driver's seat.

They were hallway home when a voice spoke up.

"My brother. He hates the idea of us together."

They weas a long silence and Wei Ying wondered if Lan Wangji had heard it or not. He really did not want to repeat it and hence stayed silent. 

"And?"

"Nothing. It does not matter."

"Is that why you drank till you could not stand straight?"

His tone was even and calm. Wei Ying had no way of telling if Lan Wangji was angry or bothered. He lifted his head and eyed the man driving. There was no telling from his jaw, it was relaxed. It sometimes irked him that his boyfriend had the perfect poker face whereas he wore his heart on his sleeve.

"No comments."

"How did you know?"

"I visited my sister and he happened to be there as well. One topic lead to another and somehow it ended up at us dating. Scathing words were exchanged and... and... I never expected my brother to have such a closed off mind. so...yeah..."

"And?"

"What do you mean and? Doesn't it bother you?"

"Wei Ying. The only person's opinion I care about is yours."

"...."

"Until you say otherwise. I'm here."

"Stop the car."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

He gently parked the car by the side of the road and turned around and looked at Wei Ying struggling to sit up straight. 

"Wei Ying..."

"I'm okay I'm okay! Don't get up!"

It was a sight to see... Wei Ying waddling like a pregnant penguin to the passenger side of the car. He finally sat down with a huff. Lan Wangji reached over to pull the seatbelt over the drunk man and was greeted with a soul crushing kiss. 

Two shivering hands slid into his hair and held him in place. The hands slid down his neck and dug into the solid shoulders beneath. 

"Easy..." Came the breathy response from Lan Wangji.

"I'm trying..."

Neither waited another second in sealing their lips back again. Their breaths mingled and for a split second... they forgot that they were in a car. Wei Ying tried to move into a comfortable position and ended up hitting his elbow in the car's door.

Wei Ying was the first to pull away... "I... Ouch... Have to breathe..."

"Right..."

He sat back straight and huffed for a few minutes before his breathing returned to normal. 

"Hahaha!! I can't believe I lost my breath with just kissing."

The other man softly shook his head in mirth. "What was that for?"

"Hmm?"

"The kiss?"

Filling his lungs with air, he took a deep breath. "Nothing Lan Zhan... just... You are too good to me and I'm scared that one day... I might end up hurting you..."

"Then I will convince myself that you didn't mean to. Home?"

"Home."

\-----------------------------------To be continued...................................


	28. The confrontation

* * *

28.The confrontation

* * *

To him, the world was only in shades of grey. There was no black and white. He refused to believe that anyone was a 100 % good. He had seen the tamest of people turn into monsters. He had seen a lot in this wretched world.

He knew that skeletons exist for everyone. And he loved to play with those skeletons...

\----------------

"Lan Zhan! Did you see this?!!" Came the loud question. 

The man in question walked into the room and looked at the television where a lady dressed in all red was reading the day's news. 

_*The crash is said to have been instigated by someone with a personal vendetta. The police are investigating the case and the business partners are said to be put under a microscope until the case can be closed. Now on to....*_ He tuned out the rest of the words and sat down on the plush couch. 

"Instigated..? I thought it was a bird attack on the engine that made it fail?"

"So did I."

There was a beat of silence before Wei Wuxian continued the conversation, "How is... How is Lan Xichen doing these days? This must-have hit him hard. They were friends, no?"

"Since they were children."

"Damn it. I... I get it. I understand how traumatic it can be when you lose someone who is like your own brother. You thought you were partners in crime and then he just gives up. I get it."

Lan Wangji turned to look at Wei Ying. He looked nostalgic and sad... there was a look of longing in that face that almost hurt Lan Wangji. He gently took the free arm in his own and gave it a squeeze so as to say 'I'm here'. 

"Jiang Cheng?"

"Yes..." "Lan Zhan maybe you should spend some time with your brother? Maybe help him a bit with work if you could? Just be there to support him... I mean murder Lan Zhan! That is a big deal. Go talk to him."

"Soon. Soon... Do not worry."

"Why wait?"

"The media is hounding him. So I must wait until he says we can speak freely."

"Ohh.. yeah... Of course, they're looking for an inside scoop. But why...? You don't think that one of his clients did it, do you?"

"Possibly. He takes on high profile clients."

"And... if one of them had something to hide..."

"His company signs a Non-disclosure agreement with all of them. That cannot be it."

"What if one of his people witnessed a murder?

"It's covered under the agreement."

Lan Wangji noticed Wei Ying straightening his posture at that and the visibly uncomfortable body language. 

"Wow... That is an enormous loophole. Which means if your client did murder someone and you did bear witness... you cannot testify in court because you signed an NDA to keep their private details to be private?"

"As a personal bodyguard, you stay with someone almost all day. You need to sign an NDA to make it work."

"...Otherwise, there won't be any clients. Definitely not any high profile ones... And I think his company caters to royalties and presidents. Damn it! Which means the list of suspects is not only long but also extremely confidential. So there no way to possibly get the list and investigate everyone on that list. Not without triggering the killer."

"...."

"S**t"

\-----------------------

"Lan Xichen. Calm down."

The pacing man stopped and turned around. His eyes were ablaze with something akin to anger. He stood there with his back straight. 

"Uncle... he was my friend. My brother in all sense of the world other than blood. How could you ask this of me?" 

His voice raised a pitch higher. Henry stood there with a completely surprised look on his face. Lan Xichen, the first master of the Lan clan, heir to the entire empire of Lan enterprises. Never raised his voice. NEVER. 

Lans were a complicated group of individuals. Evey member he had ever met had mastered the art of cold detachment. This not only applied to the men but the women as well. He had met the Chief operating officer of the company and she was the ice queen personified. She had pale features including silvery blue eyes that reminded him of the white witch from the fairytales. 

They carried themselves with so much dignity and class that it was hard to imagine one of them losing their temper. Especially the first master Lan. 

The crumpled eyebrows made him look almost menacing. 

Lan Xichen was a tall man. But he was also a humble man. He spoke to people as equal and smile lines were scattered all over his face making him look wise and happy. He always looked like a man who had found the elixir of happiness. Hence, people never really noticed his stature properly. 

Until now.

He was taller than Lan Qiren when he stood up straight. Even through the 3-piece grey suit... you could see the faint outline of his muscles. The usually soft jaw was clenched, displaying the bones underneath. Suddenly he was very self-aware of how small he felt in that room.

"It is your job to take care of THIS family's legacy. You took a vow when you took over the company... your father's company."

"My father gave up on this company a long time ago. Or have you forgotten uncle?" The subtle challenge was evident in his eyes. 

He could see that the statement rattled the older man in the room. 

Lan Xichen's father... was a man of taboo. He was never mentioned in the company or ever spoken of. During his entire time of employment, he had only seen the man's name in a vague family tree. He was not mentioned in any of the official documents or statements pertaining to the company. He was not in the list of shareholders either. 

He often wondered what happened to him. But was usually too scared to broach the subject to his boss that he had kept quiet. Turns out it was the right thing to do. He held his breath and waited for Lan Qiren to speak up.

Instead, it was Lan Xichen who spoke up, "I will keep my promise and execute my responsibilities accordingly. BUT, I will not sit by and ignore the blatant murder of a man who had been of service to our clan. Not to mention a friend. All I ask is that you trust me to do my job."

The other man averted his gaze and turned around. 

"Let us hope you don't burn this to the ground Nephew. Good day."

He quietly walked out of the room with head still held high. For an outsider it might look like Lan Xichen had won the argument... for an insider, they knew it was far from the truth.

Lan Qiren was the majority shareholder of the entire empire that the Lans have built. Should Lan Xichen mess up this situation, Lan Qiren could veto him our of his current chosen position in the company. 

It was not an acceptance of defeat. It was a warning that was issued in very few words. 

"Henry?"

"Uh? I mean yes sir?"

"I would like you to cancel the rest of the meetings for today, thank you."

"Of course."

"You can leave home early if you are done. That's all."

"Yes sir. Good evening to you."

"Good evening."

Henry walked out of the room, visibly disturbed.

\-----------------To be continued...........

Author's notes:

Between managing my studies and my job it is very hard to give constant updates. But I will try my best to do so. Thank you all again!!

Also, I have started an Instagram page to post small poems and thoughts. To anyone who is interested, here is my user handle - **accidentalwriter990**


	29. The Fifth Day

* * *

29\. The Fifth Day

* * *

He had never been in a relationship... never tried being in one and had never felt the need for one. Most people hide the fact that they are lonely... that they crave companionship. For him, this had never been the case. 

After all, how could you miss something that you have never had?

Being with Wei Ying for the past few months had made him re-evaluate his thoughts. Wei Ying had left the city for a conference through the university... Excitement made Wei Ying loud. The man had raved on and on about how amazing the trip was going to be. Lan Zhan had dropped him off at the airport and had kissed him goodbye. 

It was day 5.

And he could not handle it anymore. 

The first day had been the easiest. He had come back home from the airport and had promptly gone to bed. The following days proved to be a lot more complicated. He had always prided himself as a pragmatic individual and at his ability to look at things logically. Wei Ying had efficiently put a dent in that.

It was day 5. 

And all he wanted to do was talk to him. Hear his voice. Look at his pixelated face on skype. Though it did nothing to diminish his beauty... By now he had accepted that Wei Ying was one of those weird people who can never look ugly. He had seen that man half awake, half dead with dark circles, drunk and throwing up over the sidewalk, wailing over Bambi, dancing in his old underwear during laundry day... he had seen it all.

Yet he could not remember a single time he had looked ugly. 

Or was it just his perception?

He was pacing the kitchen like a cat in heat and he hated himself for it. He could not concentrate on his writing. He drowned his loneliness in cooking... But those brought back memories of their own and he was not ready to deal with them. 

His brother had called and had made fun of him for being wrapped around his boyfriend's little finger... So he had efficiently put an end to speaking to his brother as well. 

He was alone and lonely...

And it was day 5.

He pulled out his phone and checked for tickets...

\-------------------------------------------------------

"Yes Yes, the amphitheatre on the second floor. Yes of course!... Has anyone seen Kiko? Where is she?! She was supposed to take care of this..."

Wei Ying was on full 'general' mode as he liked to call it. 

There had been mishaps while organising the conference, due to which he had barely slept. He had been breaking his head over how to correct this... he had looked at the missed calls from Lan Zhan but never found the time to get back to him. 

_'He would be so pissed off by now... Dammit, I need to make amends as soon as I go back.'_

It was 8 pm at night and not a single person had gone back to the hotel. No one had eaten anything either. Wei Ying had felt guilty about working everyone to the bone but the event HAD to go well tomorrow, his university's reputation resided in it. 

Then he can go and murder the guy who was the cause of the mishap. _'Oh he had plans for that guy....'_

He looked around the room to everyone running around. Some looked dreary and ready to drop dead for the day... The motivation levels in the room were below zero and it was starting to worry him.

"EVERYONE! HEY!"

Everyone stopped to look at Wei Ying. 

"TAKE A BREAK! SERIOUSLY!"

He could see everyone breathe a collective sigh of relief. His heart swelled up with sympathy towards them, everyone working hard because one guy messed up. 

One should never pay for other's mistakes. It's like being punished for the crime you did not commit. 

"Wei Ying?"

"Kiko! I have been looking everywhere for you! Where have you been?"

"To the bathroom! Will you calm down now?... Anyway, I think I have just laid eyes on the most beautiful man ever..." Her eyes glazed over when she uttered those words with far off wonderment...

"And...?"

"Oh... and he came looking for you... "

"Me?"

"Yeah... oh right there!" She pointed towards the entranceway where there he was. He stood in his beautiful blue suit, looking like he just stepped off of a runway. 

"So beautiful......"

"That's my boyfriend." 

Kiko's eyes bulged as she turned to look at Wei Ying... "He is gay?"

"Yes.."

"So I have no chance with him?"

"Hey! He is my boyfriend!"

The girl threw her head and bellowed out a laugh... "Shame..." and sauntered off.

Wei Ying walked towards the man waiting by the entrance and stopped at a decent distance. He could hear the hushed voices and the murmurs in the room due to this man that just stepped in. 

Wei Ying was completely aware of how attractive his boyfriend is... He knew the kind of effect he had on both genders and it honestly didn't bother him. But right now... they were surrounded by hormonal university students... He wondered if this situation would get worse. He saw a group of women huddle wound to discuss the new hunk and Wei Ying knew they would come over very soon.

"Okay... let's talk outside Lan Zhan. Come now."

While escorting Lan Wangji outside he could hear a disappointed "aww..." 

He smirked at that. 

"So... what are you doing here??"

_'I was craving to hold you... I miss you... Not being with you made my heart ache in places I didn't even know was possible... I'm here to kidnap you... please kiss me...'_

"You didn't call. I was worried for your well being."

"Ah...." Lan Wangji could see the mild disappointment in that response... 

"Did you eat?"

"Haha... absolutely not. I just gave a break to my people. None of us got any dinner, we really should. How about we grab dinner together?"

"Should you go back to work after dinner?"

"Yes... I'm sorry Lan Zhan." 

The man looked tired. A lot more tired than the rest of the people there. Wei Ying was not particularly responsible, Lan Zhan had noticed quite early on in their relationship. It used to make him go crazy on nights Wei Ying didn't pick up his calls... Lan Zhan's first assumption was always -alcohol poisoning or jail.

Only later he realised... that when it came to taking care of people, Wei Ying was never irresponsible. He went above and beyond for his loved ones and it honoured the man that someday he might be one of those people. 

"Give me a few minutes." Saying that the man in the suit walked off and began making calls.

"Wha... So do I wait?"

After 10 minutes over the phone... "I called the catering company that my brother usually works with to be here in 30 minutes. They will take care of dinner."

"Uh... we are 50 people here Lan Zhan."

"I mentioned roughly 70. It should be sufficient."

"Oh."

The lukewarm response worried the other man _'Maybe I overstepped?'_

"If only we were somewhere private.... I would show you how much that meant to be. But in front of my students, I must maintain an ounce of decorum. I already lost half their respect at the last Halloween party... so.."

"What happened at the last Halloween party?"

"Not important!" Too quick.

"What's important is..." He continued... "You did this for them, I'm touched Lan Zhan..."

"I did this for you. I'm a selfish man."

"You are a good man. I think you don't give yourself enough credit."

Lan Zhan had no response to that... There was a mild dusting of pink that was evident on the man's cheek. 

"Woaaaa... are you blushing?!"

"No."

"Awwww...."

"Where is the men's room?"

"C'mon... you don't have to hide in the men's room!"

"I will be right back."

"Lan Zhan... Oi! Come back!... it's cuuuuteeee!" 

The retreating man's back was the only thing visible as Wei Ying taunted him all the way to the men's room.

\-------------------To be continued....................


	30. The Cold

* * *

30.The cold

* * *

"Come in"

Dark. 

Everything about the man was dark. The suit, the shoes and even the shirt underneath... with a single glossy, golden tie clip. Dark hair slicked back with bronzed skin and sunken eyes... A jawline that could cut through glass. Heavy... Yet, when he walked, he made no noise. Almost, as he floated on the floor. 

Handsome was not the word... but intense definitely was. 

"Sir, everything that you have asked for is in the file."

"Good. Leave."

The man gave a formal bow and left the room as quietly as he came in. There was barely a ruffle... as if he was never there. 

The floor creaked as the older man walked across the room with his heavy physique. Tall and proud. His long white robes whistled past the wind.

The envelope was heavy with its contents - Pictures, files, financial statements, ancestry... He held the entire life of the man within the contents of this single envelope. 

Things no one would have been able to find... 

"Secon master Wei Wuxian... you are an interesting case..."

\-----------------------------------------

Instigated... The floating words in his head made no sense. 

Who would even go as far as murder...

In a world filled with secrets, the one with access to these secrets was the king. And Nie Mingjue was one of those people. He held too many secrets for too many people... too many powerful people. 

But the man himself was untouchable... He kept his friends close and his enemies closer. His network of powerful people across nations was immense. He was as protected as a president and anyone would be a fool to try the man's temper. 

He was not a forgiving man.

Hence, he made enemies. 

Lan Xichen had spent his winter days in isolation, buried in work, trying to forget everything that happened in the past months. The days got colder and so did his heart.

His confidant. His brother in arms yet not in birth. The one-man that he confided everything to.... was gone now...

Despite many objections, they had sent the body for investigation.

Murder.

Conclusive on paper, it said... murder.

The crash had burnt the body making it almost unrecognisable. Multiple burn marks littered his once-perfect physique and it took everything in Lan Xichen to hold his miserable cries of shock. He had whimpered... and yelled... and cried his days away until he came to terms with it. 

There was one other thing that had bothered him... It haunted his dreams since the autopsy reports had come in. 

They had found a fresh wound on the man's body. Cut from some kind of fine blade it said...

Nie Mingjue was a master swordsman, there were very few people who could inflict any harm on him especially with a sword. Lan Xichen himself was not one of them. He had incredible skills with a bow and arrow yet when it came to swordsmanship, he always came second to him. 

He knew one other man that could take on Nie Mingjue and survive.

One other man that he knew who had such skills.... was his brother 

His brother would never harm anyone... He was not capable of that...

Was he?

\----------------------------------

There is something to be said about life that is almost perfect... It is the calm before the storm and the wind before the hurricane. Wei Wuxian was a strong believer of this. He was the perfect pessimist who made everything look easy as they are always prepared for the worst...

He stood there near the large windows and looked at the perfect winter morning. The students were almost ready to pack up and go ready to do skiing in the mountains. It was THAT time of the year and everything was covered in glassy snow. It was the perfect winter wonderland. But something in his gut was bothering him and he was trying his best to ignore it while finishing up the last class of the day. 

He decided to focus on the bright side of winter. New Year's eve... Oh, such a fantastic night! He was never a fan of Christmas, never celebrated it or joined people celebrating it. He spent that one night all alone in his room with a steaming bowl of instant ramen, cosied up in his soft red woollen blanket. 

The only thing he had left from his mother. 

New Year's ever on the other hand - was a whole other story!

He got so drunk that he would be hungover for the next 48 hours straight. Music and more music. They could go from club to club until the wee hours of the morning. And before the day broke, he would always find someone of interest and he usually woke up next to the said interesting person. On most days he barely registered their gender... got dressed and got home. 

As he walked home, he would choose to ignore the dull echo that he got in his heart every new year's morning before he opened the door to his apartment. 

The echo stayed trapped in his heart all these years... But this year... He couldn't hear the echo anymore... This year, Lan Zhan had insisted that they spend their New Year's eve together. And he refused to take no for an answer. 

He had initially suggested that they spend the entire time from Christmas to new year's together but Wei Ying could never keep him away from his family. He knew Lan Zhan visited his brother and his entire extended clan sometimes. Always, always made a trip to their mother's grave in China. And Wei Ying decided to stick to instant ramen and chocolate ice-cream, routine. 

"Professor!"

"Uh! Oh! Yeah?"

The kid looked out of breath as if he had been yelling for quite some time now. 

_'Oops'_

"Will you be covering chapter 17 in the mid-terms?"

"You think you can get away that easily, do ya?"

He saw the kid deflate instantly and took amusement in it. "Sorry Mr Chapman, it will be covered. If you need help with studying I'd be happy to help. But I will not be skipping it."

"Got it. Thanks man!"

"No problem."

 _'How old did these kids think he was?'_

Yesterday a student called him homie and fist-bumped him. He was not sure If he should be offended or flattered that he was one of the 'homies' now. 

_'Lan Zhan would so hate it!'_ He burst out laughing at the image of Lan Zhan's twitching eyebrow. The man hated nicknames and slangs. He had tried 'sugarlips' on Lan Zhan and all he got was a sour look from him. 

His boyfriend was terribly amusing sometimes.

His phone rang snapping him out of his thoughts...

'Unknown number?'

"Hello?"

\---------------------------To be continued.........................

A wonderful Christmas and a happy new year to everyone!!

To those who celebrated them alone - don't worry, there are a lot of people praying for your good health and life. 

To those that do not celebrate these holidays - Have a fantastic winter!!


End file.
